Linux group pushes for greater standardisation
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The Free Standards Group, a US-based non-profit trade organisation, is expected to announce widespread industry support for Linux Standard Base 2.0, an effort to develop a standard version of the open source operating system.
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The latest Linux Standard Base specifications are now out, allowing open-source vendors and developers to maintain easy portability and compatibility among applications for Linux.
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PARIS - A group of European research institutions and open-source software companies has launched an effort to build new tools that will make it easier to do complex IT projects based on Linux and other open-source software, they said this week.
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(InfoWorld) - Earlier this year, members of Chinese and Taiwanese IT associations announced broad plans to work together to jointly develop and promote Linux as well as home-grown standards for certain IT components. The idea is to match Taiwanâs technology prowess with Chinaâs huge number of users as a base for a global Linux putsch, and to create new standards to compete with global initiatives from Blu-ray to CDMA (Code Division Mutliple Access). At an IT trade show in Shanghai, IDG News Service (IDGNS) caught up with Roger Liao, deputy director of international affairs at one of Taiwanâs biggest industry groups, the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturersâ Association (TEEMA), to discuss progress on both fronts, in addition to other IT developments in China. IDG News Service: How is work on Linux progressing? Whatâs popular and whatâs not in Taiwan and China? Liao: It really depends on what kind of product youâre talking about. For example, China really wants to promote Linux as an OS, because itâs more stable. But Microsoft is by far the more popular OS here because people are used to it and it has a larger market share. Microsoftâs recent deal with Novell is another aspect thatâs very interesting, but itâs too early to say how that will affect Linux development and usage in China. Linux is still mostly used in servers and as embedded software in China and Taiwan. A number of Taiwanese companies have opened Linux development centers in China for embedded software development. Although Chinese engineers are less experienced, they are not expensive to hire, and they learn quickly. Even we (TEEMA) use Chinese engineers for all of our software needs, but thatâs mostly our Web site and e-commerce platform. IDGNS: What about the development of new technology standards? Weâve heard a lot about meetings between Taiwanese and Chinese IT associations to create new global technology standards. Whatâs been accomplished so far? Liao: Thereâs not a lot going on so far, just a lot of talking. Developing standards is very difficult, itâs actually a very political issue. Itâs something we (Taiwan-China) always talk about â we even held discussions at the recent APEC meeting (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Hanoi, Nov. 18,19) â but nothing concrete has come from these discussions. Most of our members are manufacturers, contract manufacturers, so they normally wait and see what standard wins out, and then embrace the winner. Thatâs the way itâs been for years, and I donât see it changing anytime soon. IDGNS: Speaking of manufacturing, is the growth of China really hurting Taiwanese manufacturers? Liao: A lot of Taiwanese companies are already using China as a manufacturing base, so theyâre taking advantage of the low costs. But the other issue is quality. Even Chinese companies that are making components on their own, well their quality isnât as good as Taiwan. There are also more risks in doing business with China. Chinese companies will always say âcan doâ even if they canât, which is a problem if your business depends on their delivery. So overall, it may be less expensive on the surface, but other problems such as low quality and business risk in China can increase expenses over the long run, and then it doesnât seem so cheap anymore. Taiwan has been involved in international business for years, particularly in IT. China is rather new to the game, and they still have a lot to learn. Taiwan is actually the best partner for foreigners to approach using China as a manufacturing base and as a market. Japanese companies tend to prefer partnering with Taiwanese companies when entering China. They take advantage of Taiwanâs long experience in China as well as better communication skills (Mandarin is spoken in both Taiwan and China). Itâs more difficult for Japanese companies to do it on their own, the costs are much higher. They definitely can do it, but there is a learning curve and itâs expensive to climb. Taiwan still has a big advantage in know-how, the knowledge of the local people, the education, and the experience with international business practices and standards. (Liao was in Shanghai for a major electronics trade show in China, a three-in-one combo; the China Electronics Fair (CEF Shanghai 2006), Asia Electronics Exhibition in Shanghai (AAES 2006), and the 2006 International Electronics Expo (IEE Shanghai 2006).ADVERTISEMENTNEW IT SERVICES FROM IBM: EASIER TO BUY AND IMPLEMENTDiscover a simpler, more cost-effective way to get the solutions your company needs to grow more flexible and efficient.
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Supporters of the free PC operating system Linux are preparing to counter a recent Microsoft Corp.  deal which established for the first time the principle of paying the software giant to use Linux.
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&quot;If the Linux industry can unite and pull this off, there&#39;s a real shot at a true open alternative to Microsoft,&quot; said Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Free Standards Group.
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which has been making headway with companies and governments -- potentially face headaches if the open-source operating system fragments into differing and incompatible versions.
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In an effort to help ensure standardization, the Free Standards Group has officially released the Linux Standard Base (LSB) 2.0, a specification composed of interoperability standards, a base set of APIs and libraries and developer environments and test
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A technology group working on faster data transfer between devices announced a new specification targeted at improving high-performance computing systems.
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Great and good say Huzzah! The UK now has its own national think tank for open source and open standard policy.â¦
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Catching up with Linux in the enterprise at last week's LinuxWorld event.
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Company plans to help software companies certify products for SuSE Linux operating system.
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The Free Standards Group will announce on Tuesday the availability of the Linux Standard Base (LSB) 2.0, and that this standard has the support of almost all global Linux distribution vendors.
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A number of the larger Linux developers like Red Hat and Novell are likely to back the plan, bolstering its uptake in the market. The agreement aims to ensure compatibility between Linux versions
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The battle over home entertainment networking is heating up as a coalition proposes yet another standard for the IEEE&#39;s consideration.
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A group of top electronics manufacturers are joining forces to develop a standard for content management and protection, with an eye to providing specifications for the growing array of digital media hardware and distribution channels.
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New users are making their way to Linux and open source, one acronym at a time.