Linux vendors from Europe, Asia, and North and South America have teamed up to create a common core implementation of the Linux Standard Base (LSB) 2.0. This implementation will serve as the core for each of the new consortium members’ future Linux distribution products, the companies announced jointly today.
The Linux Core Consortium (LCC) is backed by Computer Associates, the Free Standards Group, Hewlett-Packard, Novell, the Open Source Development Labs, Red Hat, and Sun Microsystems.
Common Core
The members hope their efforts will strengthen the position of the LSB as an open de facto standard for Linux distributions.
The group plans to operate through a joint development framework. Members will pool development efforts to create and maintain a common Linux distribution core based on the Free Standard Group’s LSB 2.0 standard. Member companies will build their products on top of this common core.
The common core will be available in the first quarter of 2005, the companies said, and will be incorporated into the Conectiva Enterprise Server, Mandrakesoft Corporate Server, Progeny Componentized Linux and Turbolinux Enterprise Server product lines.
Keeping Linux Open
Open-source developers and interested Linux companies were invited to join the group.
Yogesh Gupta, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Computer Associates, said in a statement, “CA strongly supports LCC’s effort to strengthen Linux standards, which will help customers reap maximum business benefits from their open-source investments by reducing the complexity and cost of technology ownership.”
Karen Bennet, vice president of Applications and Tools at Red Hat, added, “ISVs and developers need clear-cut standards. The LSB and the Linux Core Consortium help balance the needs of enterprise customers, ISVs, and Linux vendors and will continue to keep Linux open.”