| Linux Foundation charts Linux's future |
Jun. 19, 2007
Last week, more than 230 Linux leaders converged on Google's Mountain View, Calif. campus to discuss the most pressing issues for Linux, at the first-ever Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit. Today, the Linux Foundation released a statement summarizing the event's main accomplishments, and declared the event a success.
The group -- comprising kernel developers, distribution vendors, IHVs (independent hardware vendors), ISVs (independent software vendors), end users, and community project leaders -- came together to work out ways to better collaborate on improving not only the Linux operating system but also the application software, hardware, and businesses that depend upon it.
In a statement released today, the Linux Foundation listed the following key highlights from the Summit:- Accessibility -- Representatives from the Linux Foundation's Accessibility workgroup explained the Linux model for writing accessible applications to key ISVs, end users, kernel developers and LSB (Linux Standard Base) workgroup participants. The workgroup and its current iAccessible2 standard are dedicated to establishing standards that make software applications accessible to persons with disabilities across multiple platforms, not just Linux.
- Desktop -- The Desktop architects meeting yielded a new set of priorities for the community, which include: multimedia, packaging, developer tools, power management, world typography, and printing.
In particular, the GStreamer and Helix communities agreed to engage in the analysis of their respective multimedia frameworks to advance the development of Linux sound solutions. Linux distribution representatives agreed to evaluate the low level audio interfaces and to recommend standard audio and multimedia stack implementations. In addition, the OSS Open Sound System project announced that it is now licensing its source code to multiple licensees. This include the open-source GPLv2 and Sun's CDDL (Common Development and Distribution License).
The Linux desktop architects also tackled Linux software packaging The discussion started to identify the viewpoints of the stakeholders and what is required to improve Linux application packaging for all communities. Particular focus on the user experience, how to manage trusted repositories, package standardization, integration and testing. The developers will continue to refine these packaging requirements on the LSB packaging mailing list.
D-BUS, a message bus for interprocess communication, was actively discussed by the desktop architects. In particular, the KDE and GNOME community leaders at the meeting agreed to issue the following joint statement on D-BUS: "Both KDE and GNOME committed to D-BUS at DAM-4, and to a common set of interfaces for desktop services."
The desktop architects also agreed to extend standard internationalized text layouts mechanisms and font management. Additionally, they decided to adopt HarfBuzz, an OpenType layout engine, as an open standard to complement FreeType and Font Config.
In the discussion on developer tools, Eclipse emerged as a favored IDE (integrated development environment) solution for the gaps found in other existing developer tools now widely used by the community, such as gdb (Gnu debugger).
- Device drivers -- A collaborative and problem-solving session on device drivers was held with key representatives from the kernel community, vendors, and end users. The session explained the Linux model and the newly formed program available for vendors, whereby the Linux kernel community is offering all companies free Linux driver development. More information can be found at the Linux driver project website.
- Power management -- Throughout the Summit, Linux developers, including the Linux Desktop Architects, met to discuss the increasing need for efficient power management in Linux. As a result of these meetings, the Linux Foundation is organizing a "Green Linux" initiative to improve power management functionality in Linux. Making Linux "green" is becoming ever more important in all aspects of Linux adoption -- mobile, desktop, and server. Power management developers will meet next week in Ottawa, at the Linux Symposium, to continue work in this area.
- Printing -- The Linux Foundation Open Printing workgroup announced the LSB Device Driver Kit, aimed at improving printing functionality in Linux. At the Summit, key representatives from major printing vendors met with Linux community leaders to discuss the new improvements in printer driver support and work on improvements in the future. The new Device Driver Kit provides tools and resources that enables printing manufacturers to easily support all Linux distributions with one driver package, greatly reducing the time and effort needed to support Linux. This release also streamlines printer support and functionality for end users through the addition of a web API from the OpenPrinting database, which will be supported by all major Linux distributions and will allow Linux printer setup tools to automatically find and download printer driver packages, even when there is no local driver available in the distribution.
- Testing -- The Linux Standard Base workgroup presented their newly created LSB Test Framework and Testing tools to a packed session of kernel developers, ISVs, upstream maintainers and system vendors. Because Linux is developed in a de-centralized manner, testing is crucial to improve code quality. The LSB testing framework includes new automated testing toolkits for distributions and application vendors, linking development more closely to certification. The result is reduced development costs and tighter integration between upstream developers, distributions, applications and the LSB standard.
Future Summits will be open to Linux Foundation members and to key senior participants in the Linux ecosystem, and will be presented twice a year, the Foundation said. The next Summit is currently scheduled for March of 2008, at a location that remains to be determined.
In a statement, Jim Zemlin, executive director of The Linux Foundation, said, "We are extremely pleased with the results so far of our Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit. We have seen a tremendous response for the Summit based on all the right people being in one place to drive meaningful change and improvement in the Linux platform. The Linux Foundation was thrilled to see kernel developers, end users, ISVs, distribution and system vendors truly listening to each other and working together to advance the platform. When we work together, the community is unstoppable."
More information on results from this summit and plans for future ones can be found at the Linux Foundation Summit website.
-- Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
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