Steps to reproduce the issue

1. Install Joomla! on Linux with Microsoft SQL drivers for Linux
2. Go to home page or /administrator/index.php?option=com_content

Expected result

Displaying an article or list of articles

Actual result

[Microsoft][ODBC Driver 13 for SQL Server][SQL Server]Incorrect syntax near the keyword 'DISTINCT'.

System information (as much as possible)

PHP Built On: Linux 4.4.0-96-generic # 119-Ubuntu SMP Tue Sep 12 14:59:54 UTC 2017 x86_64
Database Version: 12.00.5207 (Microsoft SQL)
Database Driver on Linux: Microsoft Drivers for PHP for SQL Server
PHP Version: 7.0.22-0ubuntu0.16.04.1
Web Server: Apache/2.4.18 (Ubuntu)
WebServer to PHP Interface: fpm-fcgi
Joomla! Version: Joomla! 3.8.2-dev Development [ Amani ] 4-October-2017 14:00 GMT
Joomla! Platform Version: Joomla Platform 13.1.0 Stable [ Curiosity ] 24-Apr-2013 00:00 GMT

Additional comments

It appears the specific SQL that's causing this error is SELECT TOP 4 DISTINCT. A quick Google search tells me that for MSSQL it should instead be SELECT DISTINCT TOP 4. The full query generated by Joomla! is attached.

In the file \joomla\libraries\joomla\database\query\sqlsrv.php, when a limit is required, the function processLimit() replaces SELECT with SELECT TOP in the query. So if DISTINCT is in there, you get the above syntax error.