omi VS azurelinux

The actual code that runs when you type scxadmin start is visible here (start_omi() function) : https://github.com/microsoft/omi/blob/e4d72481fa2f805148c9c8f4d0183b3e2d7814a8/Unix/installbuilder/service_scripts/service_control.linux

Maybe Microsoft will end up doing the latter: given their other moves with trying to shoehorn their ideas into Linux, I wouldn't be surprised if they go that way. But as it stands now, this particular tool does nothing but add automation-hostile patterns (having to accept a EULA for install, yay!), unnecessary kernel modules, and obnoxious log data to a given box.

But you should be able to update it using latest OMI release, without waiting for a SCOM agent update : https://github.com/microsoft/omi/releases/tag/v1.6.8-1

They're even already producing their own Linux distribution, CBL-Mariner, https://github.com/microsoft/azurelinux

This became even more interesting as Microsoft started to open source core technology such as Powershell, the DotNET platform, their internal Linux distribution, and much more. All this hosting on GitHub also made sense acquisition wise.

Quite a few servers and network switches, actually.

Likely a recognisable ‘Windows’ GUI on-top of CBL-Mariner

Nothing new. For several years they already developed and maintained CBL-Mariner (Common Build Linux) https://github.com/microsoft/CBL-Mariner Which od a base for Azure Linux and other projects.