Did Compaq and MS try to buy linux.com?

As suggested here earlier, a whole stash of companies either made bids for or expressed interest in linux.com when it came up for sale. A reader directs us to news.com, which reported the matter here when VA Research_s bid was accepted. Can_t win them all... Apparently the domain owner, Fred van Kempen, had insisted on both money and a business plan for the domain, so sheer cash wouldn_t be enough, and VA certainly didn_t match the top offer of $5.5 million. The Compaq offer was reportedly made by Digital before the takeover, and the Microsoft offer is denied by Microsoft. But HP and Red Hat were also in the list, while sniffs were received from IBM, Dell and Novell.