The Register is reporting that Google is working on a Linux Distro built off of Ubuntu.

Google is preparing its own distribution of Linux for the desktop, in a possible bid to take on Microsoft in its core business - desktop software.

A version of the increasingly popular Ubuntu desktop Linux distribution, based on Debian and the Gnome desktop, it is known internally as ‘Goobuntu’.

Google has confirmed it is working on a desktop linux project called Goobuntu, but declined to supply further details, including what the project is for.

Linux has consistently run into usability problems and thus been generally delegated as a server operating system. I’m hoping Google can produce a usable desktop version of Linux, similar to how Apple made Unix (FreeBSD) usable. I’m really hoping it doesn’t look like this.