There are significantly less expensive ways...
...to start your own GNU/Linux distro.
In MSFT's case, they could turn Interix Unix Services for NT into a Linux w/o the Linux, running on Windows, for starters. Or cobble together their own set of tarballs, DEBs, RPMs, or foo, and start shipping / burrning / uploading it. They're already more than half way there, and considered this
But you'd have to ask: to what end?
"Buying" Caldera would provide Microsoft with precisely this much leverage over "GNU/Linux": 0.
--
Karsten M. Self [link|mailto:kmself@ix.netcom.com|kmself@ix.netcom.com]
[link|http://kmself.home.netcom.com/|[link|http://kmself.home.netcom.com/|http://kmself.home.netcom.com/]]
What part of "gestalt" don't you understand?
Keep software free. Oppose the CBDTPA. Kill S.2048 dead.
[link|http://www.eff.org/alerts/20020322_eff_cbdtpa_alert.html|[link|http://www.eff.org/alerts/20020322_eff_cbdtpa_alert.html|http://www.eff.org/...a_alert.html]]