In the first of these initiatives the Free Standards Group (FSG) and the Linux Standard Base (LSB) workgroup have announced the formation of the LSB Desktop Project. According to the FSG, in order for the Linux desktop operating system (OS) to achieve widespread adoption, common application runtime and install time requirements must be standardised and adopted by key Linux distributions. Otherwise, it says, application developers will be constrained, forced to compile to multiple instances of these libraries and distributions.

In this complex and costly development and support environment, independent software vendors (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 (no names, no pack-drill). Analysts such as Gartner have also argued that the cost of Linux is a key issue (click), holding it back on the desktop and impeding any switchover from the dominant proprietary OS (no names, no pack-drill).

The Linux Standard Base Desktop Project is intended to ease the complexity of the Linux development and support environment by standardising core pieces of the Linux desktop (including libraries and other non-binary application behaviours) and encouraging ISVs to use its guidelines when developing for Linux.

"The LSB Desktop is poised for significant growth, especially in the developing world", says FSG executive director Jim Zemlin. "But desktop users and applications require a high degree of interoperability. Without the standardisation 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 FSG also announced that it has already achieved wide participation from such companies as Adobe, IBM, Intel, HP, Linspire, Mandriva, Novell, RealNetworks, Red Hat, Trolltech, Xandros and others.

Next up: Linux on mobile phones
In the second Linux push, Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) has formed a new working group, the Mobile Linux Initiative (MLI), whose focus, as the name suggests, is on accelerating the adoption of Linux in the mobile market. OSDL, the organisation that employs Linux creator Linus Torvalds, says it is creating MLI in response to input from its membership and the growing global demand for Linux-based mobile platform requirements.

"Linux provides mobile device manufacturers with a powerful platform and unmatched interoperability to deliver new capabilities in advanced handsets", suggests Stuart Cohen, ceo of OSDL. ''In much the same way that the OSDL Carrier Grade Linux working group helped accelerate Linux adoption in telecommunications network infrastructure, we believe that MLI will create the ideal forum where device manufacturers, network operators and developers can focus specifically on Linux and open source applications to move mobile handsets to the next level of functionality and profitability".

''Open solutions like Linux enable us to deliver innovation and differentiation faster and at lower costs creating better choices for carriers and consumers", agrees Christy Wyatt, vice president, Ecosystem and Market Development, Motorola Mobile Devices. To date the ‘Mo-heads’ say they have shipped more than 3mn Linux-based handsets.

The mobile OS market in general, and the Smartphone market in particular, is a little different to the desktop one. According to ABI Research the Smartphone market leader is still Symbian. It's easy to build applications for, says Philip Solis, author of the forthcoming ABI study 'Smartphones: The Market for Smartphones and Smartphone Operating Systems', and it has a large developer community - critical to any OSs success. If it has a ‘con’, it's that Symbian is found mainly on Nokia handsets, and its market strength is largely in GSM-heavy markets

ABI reckons that Microsoft hopes to overtake Symbian with its Windows CE operating system and Windows Mobile middleware. The ‘pro’ here is an enterprise focus. It interfaces well with Microsoft Exchange Server, which is prevalent in business operations. However the 'con’, points out ABI, is that Microsoft likes to control as much as possible of its end-users' experience, and so do operators who want to fully customise the user interface.

In ABI’s judgement Linux is presently the 'wild card' in the mobile OS pack. In its favour, it's highly customisable, and inexpensive. But while it has been embraced by market leaders in Asia (click), it's still an unknown quantity elsewhere.

Last year ABI Research suggested that the Symbian OS would lose market share, and today, Solis confirms that forecast. "Symbian is still by far the market leader", he says "but more Windows mobile phones are reaching the market. And we are bullish about the prospects for a re-branded Palm user interface running over Linux (alongside many other Linux OS solutions) taking some of Symbian's market share".
John Williamson