In article , "Organized Chaos" wrote: > Linux standard gets the go-ahead > By Matthew Broersma > ZDNet (UK) > July 2, 2002, 7:11 AM PT > > A project aimed at keeping different Linux distributions on the same > track has moved a step forward with the launch of a certification > program to back up the project's claims. > > Tech Update > United States of Linux > > > The program, announced by the Free Standards Group, is the latest effort > by the largest Linux vendors to make the platform more attractive to > major software vendors, and accelerate its acceptance by big businesses. > > The launch of the Linux Standards Base certification program comes six > months after the introduction of Linux Standards Base 1.1, a major > advancement in the standardization project, which had long lain dormant. > > > The standards will make it easier for software companies such as Oracle > to bring their applications to Linux, according to the Free Standards > Group. Oracle will know what Linux features can be expected, not only > from one company's version of Linux to another, but across newer > versions of the same company's product. > > The certification program is aimed at developers, software vendors and > Linux distributions alike, and is designed to allow customers to easily > identify software that has gone through the standardization process. > Certification prices run from $400 (about £280) to $3,000. > > "Corporate, government, enterprise and individual end users, as well as > developers and ISVs can be assured that an LSB certified Linux > distribution or program meets the highest possible adherence to the > standard," stated Free Standards Group executive director Scott McNeil. > > The Free Standards Group is an independent non-profit group that > promotes standards in open- source technologies. The organization has > contracted The Open Group, which specializes in interoperability > certification, to manage the program. > > Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Dell, Compaq, SuSE, Red Hat, Caldera > International, Turbolinux and Ximian announced the standard at the > LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in New York at the end of January. > > Backing UnitedLinux > LSB 1.1 has more recently been complemented by the decision of Linux > vendors Caldera International, SuSE Linux, Turbolinux and Conectiva to > combine their efforts into a single LSB- compliant distribution called > UnitedLinux. The distribution is scheduled to appear by the end of this > year. > > However, UnitedLinux does not yet include some of the biggest > distributors, of which Red Hat is the most prominent. Red Hat has said > that it will bring its software into the LSB fold, but the process will > take time. > > Though Red Hat's basic version of Linux will comply with LSB this year, > its coming high-end Advanced Server version initially will not, the > company has said. And with that product being updated once every 12 to > 18 months, it will be well into 2003 before it does comply. > > Red Hat doesn't have as much to worry about because most software > companies certify their programs to work with Red Hat's Linux > distribution first. But Red Hat has said that LSB will ensure that > software companies will have an easier time dealing with upgrades, which > come every six months or so. Without that stability, software makers > would have to constantly spend money to re-certify software. > > The standard, along with software that checks whether a version of Linux > or software that runs on Linux complies with the standard, governs some > basic parts of Linux--for example, which "libraries" of reusable > software components are available, what basic commands Linux can > execute, or where to find specific programs in the file system. > > Major Linux companies have endorsed the standards and said they will > make sure their versions of Linux will comply. > > The LSB released version 1.0 in beta testing form in July, then expanded > it before settling on version 1.1 as the standard that should be > adopted. > > The LSB project is designed to keep Linux from fragmenting into several > incompatible versions, as happened with Unix, an operating system used > in high-end servers. The fragmentation of Unix--the operating system on > which Linux is based--helped Microsoft's relatively unified Windows to > gain market share. > > > > What does everybody think about this? > > > > > > OC > > -- > begin OE-OCsig.sig > ------BEGIN SIGNATURE------ > aka "Dopefish" or "Organized Chaos" > > Microsoft? Is that some kind of toilet paper? > > "If ignorance is bliss > Then knock the smile off my face" > > -- Rage Agains the Machine > > ------END SIGNATURE------ > ` > end -- I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered! My life is my own - No. 6