Advocates join to promote desktop Linux

Daily Newsletters

Sign up to ZDNet UK's daily newsletter.

NEWS
Several companies have joined to launch a consortium to promote Linux for desktop computers, a significant expansion for an operating system that today fits more comfortably on servers. The consortium's goal will be to raise awareness of desktop Linux and to speed its adoption, the organisation plans to announce on Tuesday. Companies behind the Desktop Linux Consortium include several Linux sellers such as SuSE, MandrakeSoft, Lycoris, Xandros and ArkLinux; CodeWeavers, which sells software to help run Windows programs on Linux systems; OpenOffice, an open-source competitor to Microsoft Office; and the KDE user interface software. Participants say the new consortium is in part a reaction to the behaviour of one company not on the consortium's membership list: Lindows. Several of the desktop Linux companies withdrew from a Lindows-organised conference, accusing Lindows chief executive Michael Robertson of using the forum too much to promote his own company's wares. Hewlett-Packard and Lycoris were among those that withdrew from the conference. "The recent changes to the conference schedule, the withdrawal of Hewlett-Packard, and conference management have given a single vendor too much focus, which is no longer in the interest of Lycoris," the company said in a statement. Bruce Perens, an open-source advocate who withdrew from the conference, will lead the consortium at its outset. Most agree that Linux is too technical for average desktop computer users, but efforts are under way to improve it. SuSE and Red Hat are aiming Linux for developers and for employees using computers for limited functions, such as entering information onto a back-end system or fielding calls from customers placing orders by phone calls. In addition, Sun Microsystems, which has no relationship selling PCs with Microsoft Windows, also has gotten into the game with its project Mad Hatter and with server software geared to make Linux PCs more useful. All these efforts have been accelerated by resistance to new Microsoft licensing programmes, which effectively raised the prices for some products. The new consortium will be a non-profit organisation funded by annual dues. It will be open to companies and to open-source organisations, and additional members are expected to be announced soon, the group said.
For all your GNU/Linux and open source news, from the latest kernel releases to the newest distributions, see ZDNet UK's Linux News Section. Let the editors know what you think in the Mailroom.

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

You can also log in with Facebook. Log in or create your ZDNet UK account below

  • Login

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy. Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Community FAQ

Get ZDNet UK's daily newsletter

Enter your email address to sign up

ZDNet UK Live

dede0202

Hello ALL USERS OF THE PIRATE BAY I WOULD PUT AN EXPLANATION ON PIRACY Story Idea ILLIGALE AND SHARING THOSE THAT NET Dissent NOT WELL BUT TO CA...

4 hours ago by dede0202 on The Pirate Bay infringes copyright, High Court decides
Sungwoo

do You know that? it can install 4G Ram. So i buy 4g and install It work! I can run call of duty 4,6,7 [Modern war... 1,2,3] Call of duty 1 was...

4 hours ago by Sungwoo on Loose Ends - Upgrading the Aspire One 522
itsajob

2. Bad idea. Making up patch cables loses you your commission from the cable supplier. 3. If you tidy up, other people can understand where the...

10 hours ago by itsajob on Ten IT jobs to save up for those rare lulls
Roberto_Store

Now On Sale, Unlocked iPhone 4S / Galaxy Note In Factory Box. Roberto-Techie(UK) ”Now on Sales” Smartphone, Android,Tablets,Gadget &...

14 hours ago by Roberto_Store on Samsung Galaxy S III lined up for sale
Paul Smyth

Is this classic FUD? One thing I would definitely have notice is a Mozilla threat to stop supporting GNU/Linux.

16 hours ago by Paul Smyth via Facebook on Firefox rapid release improves Fedora Linux
UnderINK

I agree with the previous commenter wholeheartedly. I couldn't say it better myself. This is very 'Big Brother'. And while I agree with protecting...

20 hours ago by UnderINK on European e-identity plan to be unveiled this month
Simon Bisson and Mary Branscombe

Nice to see that Turing's idea of a general purpose computer doing once-hardware-powered tasks in software is now universal ;-) Mary

1 day ago by Simon Bisson and Mary Branscombe on Software with everything
Jason Burchell

seriously now. I've only bothered to read a small bit of the comments. do me and the rest of the world a favour. stop saying it does not work or...

1 day ago by Jason Burchell via Facebook on Music industry negotiating over 24-bit downloads
Philip Charles Cohen

Read about it and weep, John Donahoe ... In addition to Visa’s V.me, there is now MasterCard’s PayPass digital wallet soon to arrive; another...

1 day ago by Philip Charles Cohen via Facebook on PayPal takes phone-based payments to the high street
apexwm

Leslie Satenstein : Where have you ever seen Mozilla even mention this? Firefox is the most popular browser in the GNU/Linux OS, so I don't see...

1 day ago by apexwm on Firefox rapid release improves Fedora Linux
songmaster

SHleG: Do you remember building a clockwork scorpion kit (I'm pretty sure I have a photo of it somewhere) — I think it was called something like...

1 day ago by songmaster on Software with everything
Chris Wortman

Good I love Yahoo! Their search engine is getting better than Google as of late. I find more of what I want on the first page, and usually within...

2 days ago by Chris Wortman via Facebook on Linux Mint 13 ramps up for KDE release
PatrickG

openhgs has made the point for Windows 8 multiple monitors without realising it! With Windows 7 you have to switch the mouse and so your focus...

2 days ago by PatrickG on Windows 8 could speed multi-monitor uptake
Leslie Satenstein

Mozilla has threatened to stop supporting Linux. I guess that UBUNTU is going with another browser. I indicated that if Mozilla stops supporting...

2 days ago by Leslie Satenstein via Facebook on Firefox rapid release improves Fedora Linux
Andy Bolstridge

Much as I abhor Microsoft's licensing practices, this is almost certainly down to purchasing IT equipment via 3rd party consultants - you get the...

2 days ago by Andy Bolstridge via Facebook on 6 million wasted licences and £1,200 PCs: welcome to government IT
Jack Schofield

@openhgs Windows users have had multiple desktops since Linus started writing Linux. They just haven't shipped as standard because not enough...

2 days ago by Jack Schofield on Windows 8 could speed multi-monitor uptake
Jack Schofield

@Phil at Cloud4 What, Microsoft gets £1,200 per PC and £1,622 per server? Gosh, I'm amazed....

2 days ago by Jack Schofield on 6 million wasted licences and £1,200 PCs: welcome to government IT
craigsc

You guys have no idea what is going on at Autonomy. Autonomy could have been a much more profitable organization. The sales operations at Autonomy...

2 days ago by craigsc on HP cuts 27,000 staff as Autonomy chief Lynch leaves
Moley

How does this impact on dual or multi booting? Seems to me to more or less prohibit this, from Windows 8 anyway. Will Grub 2 recognise Windows 8,...

2 days ago by Moley on Windows 8 start-up speed forces USB boot workaround
apexwm

I don't understand why there cannot be a slight pause during the boot process so the user can press a key. Many operating systems do this, even if...

2 days ago by apexwm on Windows 8 start-up speed forces USB boot workaround