The Free Standards Group Announces The Linux Standard Base Desktop Project

The Free Standards Group Announces The Linux Standard Base Desktop Project

Standardization Project Will Make it Easier for Developers to Target the Linux Desktop

San Francisco, Calif. — October 18, 2005 — The Free Standards Group, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing and promoting open source software standards, and the Linux Standard Base (LSB) workgroup today announced the formation of the LSB Desktop Project. The Free Standards Group also announced that it has already achieved wide participation from such companies as Adobe, IBM, HP, Linspire, Mandriva, Novell, RealNetworks, Red Hat, Trolltech, Xandros and others. (See corresponding quotes in attached release “Industry Supports LSB Desktop Project.”) All are donating time and resources to help the workgroup achieve its goal of standardizing common libraries and application behavior that will make it easier for developers to target the Linux desktop. The LSB Workgroup has issued an invitation for all interested parties to participate in the project.

In order for the Linux desktop to achieve wide-spread adoption, common application runtime and install time requirements must be standardized and adopted by key Linux distributions. Otherwise, application developers will be constrained, forced to compile to multiple instances of these libraries and distributions. With this complex and costly development and support environment, ISVs may choose not to target the Linux desktop, leading to reduced choice for end users and an inability to compete with proprietary operating systems. The Linux Standard Base Desktop Project will ease this complexity by standardizing core pieces of the Linux desktop (including libraries and other non-binary application behaviors) and encouraging ISVs to use its guidelines when developing for Linux.

“We share the LSB Desktop project’s vision of making it easier for software developers to write great audio/video-based applications for Linux without the cost of re-writes For this reason, we open sourced the RealPlayer’s underlying media framework — the Helix Player — to encourage innovation without fragmentation”, said Kevin Foreman, GM, Helix, RealNetworks Inc. “Standardizing key libraries across multiple distributions will help us target Linux cost effectively while supporting distributions all over the world. We look forward to working closely with the LSB desktop project and promoting their standards and guidelines in our products.”

The LSB Desktop Project is a sub-project of the Linux Standard Base. The LSB is modular so distribution vendors and ISVs can target the standard that bests fits their needs. With the LSB, all parties — distribution vendors, ISVs and end users — benefit as it becomes easier and less costly for software vendors to target Linux, resulting in more applications available for the Linux platform. The vision of a standard Linux balances the needs of the competitive distribution ecosystem with the requirements of end users and independent software vendors for interoperability.

Standardizing the Desktop

The desktop project of the LSB extends the core specification into areas relevant for desktop-based applications. The goal for the project is to address both runtime and install-time requirements for Linux desktop applications. This project will

Standardize the desktop toolkits and other commonly used libraries
Extend the core packaging specification to address desktop specific installation issues.

The desktop specification will be built on top of existing common practices and specifications including the ones available from freedesktop.org.

Please refer to www.linuxbase.org for further details. The first specification from the LSB desktop project is slated for publication in early 2006 with certifications commencing shortly thereafter. Compliant applications that undergo certification testing will receive a “Linux Standard Base Desktop” certification mark which is in addition to the existing LSB certification program.

“The LSB Desktop is poised for significant growth, especially in the developing world,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Free Standards Group. “But desktop users and applications require a high degree of interoperability. Without the standardization of key components, Linux on the desktop’s success will be hindered. With key players backing this initiative, the LSB Desktop Project will prevent this from happening. ISVs will be able to cost effectively target the Linux desktop platform.”

The Linux Standard Base Desktop Project is developed and maintained by the Linux Standard Base workgroup, a workgroup of the Free Standards Group. The Linux Standard Base specification contains a base set of APIs, libraries and interoperability standards. It also includes test suites, development environments, sample implementations and developer documentation.

All interested parties are encouraged to participate in the project by joining the desktop project mailing list at www.linuxbase.org. The project is especially looking for requirements from ISVs and end users to drive the future roadmap. It also welcomes feedback and resources from hardware and distribution vendors and all members of the open source community.

About the Free Standards Group

The Free Standards Group is an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the use and acceptance of free and open source software by developing and promoting standards. Key Free Standards Group projects include the Linux Standard Base (LSB), OpenI18N, OpenPrinting and the Accessibility Workgroup. Supported by leaders in the IT industry as well as the open source development community, the Free Standards Group fulfills a critical need to have common behavioral specifications, tools and ABIs across Linux platforms. More information on the Free Standards Group is available at www.freestandards.org.

Linux Industry Unites Behind LSB Desktop Project

San Francisco, Calif. — October 18, 2005 — The Free Standards Group, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing and promoting open source software standards, and the LSB workgroup today announced thirteen leading Linux vendors have united behind its new Linux Standard Base Desktop project and pledged their support.

“Adobe applauds the Free Standards Group and the new Linux Standard Base Desktop Project”, said Patrice Lagrange, director, Linux Strategy and Market Development, Adobe Systems, Incorporated. “This effort to standardize the components that make up the Linux desktop will go a long way in making support for multiple Linux distributions possible for ISVs like Adobe.”

“While its great to talk about common Linux standards, the devil is in the details, which is why the leadership of the Free Standards Group is vital to our real world success”, said Ian Murdock, Debian founder and leader of the DCC Alliance. “Linux desktop usage has its own set of demands above and beyond the LSB server definitions, and we welcome the LSB Desktop Project as the venue in which we can focus on, and hash out, these essential requirements.”

“As a leading provider of Linux solutions, including desktop PCs and workstations, HP is very pleased to see the formation of the LSB Desktop Project”, said Efrain Rovira, worldwide director of marketing, Open Source and Linux Organization, HP. “LSB will deliver enhanced portability and standardization, enabling customers to choose which desktop technology makes most sense for them while also facilitating the continued growth of Linux in that sector. We’re happy to continue to support the LSB and Free Standards Group in our efforts to further Linux momentum.”

“IBM has been a long time supporter of the LSB, which has been driving standards for compatibility across a variety of Linux distributions in the market”, said Scott Handy, IBM vice president, worldwide Linux. “IBM depends on the LSB to test Linux compatibility across chip architectures including support of multi-platform Linux across our entire IBM eServer line with our Chiphopper initiative for ISVs. With multi-platform Linux server compatibility in great shape, having FSG and the community also work on some LSB desktop-specific initiatives makes perfect sense to continue to achieve a ‘one-Linux’ standard across the industry, including servers and desktops.”

“Having had a monopoly over the desktop, Microsoft has had the advantage of forcing their standards on users”, said Kevin Carmony, president and CEO of Linspire, Inc. “Linspire supports the LSB as a way to help Linux users enjoy the same benefits of standardization that Microsoft Windows users have, but with open standards rather than closed, proprietary ones.”

“As the reference desktop Linux provider - especially with the recent acquisition of Lycoris - Mandriva is happy to bring its expertise and drive to help fuel the continuing success of Linux on the most widely used computing configuration”, said Franois Bancilhon, chief executive officer. “Linux is today as easy to use as its proprietary counterparts, and we will bring to the Desktop project ideas and initiatives to foster the widespread development of Linux on the Desktop.”

“As a leader in desktop Linux and a pioneering contributor to Linux standardization, we know how crucial the LSB Desktop Project is to make it easier for developers to write to Linux and help further establish it on the desktop,” said Nat Friedman, Novell vice president of desktop engineering. “Common libraries and install behaviors for applications will streamline development for Linux and put it on par with competing operating systems, allowing more users to experience the advantages of Linux on the desktop.”

“We share the LSB Desktop project’s vision of making it easier for software developers to write great audio/video-based applications for Linux without the cost of re writes For this reason, we open sourced the RealPlayer’s underlying media framework the Helix Player to encourage innovation without fragmentation”, said Kevin Foreman, GM, Helix, RealNetworks Inc. “Standardizing key libraries across multiple distributions will help us target Linux cost effectively while supporting distributions all over the world. We look forward to working closely with the LSB desktop project and promoting their standards and guidelines in our products.”

“Red Flag is proud to participate in the LSB Desktop Project”, said Chris Zhao,executive president at Red Flag. “As aleading desktop provider in China, we know how important it is to standardize common software behaviors for end users and ISVs. The Free Standards Group is the leader in open source standards. We know this desktop project will help grow the Linux desktop in China and around the world.”

“Red Hat’s strategy for the Linux desktop has been to partner with ISVs and build the ecosystem needed for cost-effective customer migrations. Red Hat has successfully used this strategy to build a leadership position in the technical workstation and transactional worker market segments”, said Deb Woods, vice president of Product Management at Red Hat. “We now look forward to working with the LSB Desktop Project to encourage greater numbers of ISVs to port their desktop applications to Linux. The LSB Desktop Project will speed this porting activity by simplifying the complexity and level of effort required by ISVs who want to take advantage of the fast growing number of Linux desktops.”

“Standardization will eliminate one of the last significant barriers to mass adoption of Linux on the desktop. As one of the early Linux pioneers and the company behind Qt, Trolltech recognizes the crucial work the LSB Desktop Project is doing. We fully support it and are pleased to be an active participant of the LSB workgroup process”, said Eirik Chambe-Eng, president, Trolltech.

“As a leading provider of the Linux desktop in Asia and beyond, Turbolinux is pleased to see the formation of the Linux Standard Base desktop project”, said Koichi Yano, COO and president of Turbolinux. “We are strong supporters of the LSB and belive it will help improve interoperability for Linux desktop users.”

“With desktop Linux growing at 40 percent a year, it is vital for us to be heading in a common direction”, said Andreas Typaldos, Xandros CEO. “The LSB Desktop Standard will assure that the emerging critical desktop mass is also a unified one, and we are delighted to bring our desktop engineering experience to the project.”

About the Free Standards Group

Linux Desktop Accessibility Agreement Reached

Wednesday, September 28th, 2005

The Gnome and KDE Accessibility Projects and the Free Standards Group’s Accessibility Workgroup (FSGA) have published a statement to clarify the plans and intentions of their projects with respect to interoperability and standardization. This statement is signed by key accessibility technologists and states they are all committed to toolkit-neutral accessibility interface standards. You can read the full text of the Statement on Desktop Accessibility Development here:

http://accessibility.freestandards.org/a11yweb/forms/soi.php

The open source environment has always been open to all comers. FSG Accessibility is an effort to ensure that disability is no barrier to participation at any level. The agreement announced in this statement demonstrates that the community appreciates the need to develop inclusive and interoperable technology without compromising the individuality or personality of these two leading, and competing desktop environments.

More information on the Free Standards Group’s Accessibility Workgroup (FSGA) can be found at:

http://accessibility.freestandards.org/