Shuttleworth: There's no money in selling Linux desktops

During a conference call, Mark Shuttleworth committed himself to providing Ubuntu with 3-5 more years of funding. Shuttleworth, the founder of Ubuntu developer Canonical, says the business isn't profitable but he's prepared to continue bankroll the company as he believes it's a good investment.

Shuttleworth believes the dismal economic climate could drive more business to Ubuntu and states the only way to build businesses around Linux is around services:

Canonical, which brings in money by providing fee-based services and support for the Ubuntu software, currently has annual revenue in the range of "several million" dollars, Shuttleworth said. But the company's low revenue and lack of profits hasn't shaken his belief in its business model.

"We are entering a time when there's a real commoditization of the desktop, so I don't think it would be possible to make a lot of money, or even any money," by trying to sell Linux itself, Shuttleworth said. "The only way to build businesses around Linux is around services."