More rumors about Oracle releasing a Linux distribution, this time from a Jefferies analyst:

“We have heard that Ubuntu is currently working to certify its recently introduced server OS to all Oracle’s major products, including databases and middleware,” she wrote.

“The relationship between Oracle and Ubuntu seems to have come together rather quickly, and is perhaps the fallout from an attempt by Red Hat and Oracle to work more closely together.”

Egbert said she thinks Oracle could introduce a dedicated hardware appliance running Ubuntu and its own software, which would see the company returning Larry Ellison’s “Raw Iron” idea, or a software appliance, much like Ingres Corp’s Icebreaker project.

According to Egbert, the most likely opportunity to announce this project will be the October 22-26 OpenWorld customer event, and its October 26 investor day.

In separate news, Sun announces a data center in a shipping container, which is cool. Here‘s Jonathan Schwartz on the issues around it. (Note “The Searchers” DVD in the photo; I can’t think of a better way to establish credibility than to accidentally put that in the background. Nice going.) And the Schwartz links to a good post by Greg Matter on data centers of the future.