Linux creator takes commercial position

NEWS Linus Torvalds is getting down to the business of Linux. The creator of the freely available Linux operating system will join the Open Source Development Lab, a consortium designed to bring high-end features to the software. Torvalds, who will become an OSDL Fellow, will go to work full-time on future versions of Linux, such as its forthcoming 2.6 kernel, the OSDL said in a statement. "It feels a bit strange to finally officially work on what I've been doing for the last twelve years, but with the upcoming 2.6.x release it makes sense to be able to concentrate fully on Linux," Torvalds said in a statement released by the consortium. "OSDL is the perfect setting for vendor-independent and neutral Linux development." Torvalds will join OSDL on a leave from his position as a Transmeta technical fellow, where he has been working on research projects. Torvalds was originally hired to help the chipmaker launch its Crusoe processor. The transition for Torvalds comes at a tumultuous time for Linux. The operating system continues to ride a wave of popularity, especially among businesses, but it also has become embroiled in legal challenges from SCO Group. In the latest twist in the legal saga, SCO on Monday claimed in a $3bn (£1.78bn) lawsuit against IBM that significant portions of the operating system use proprietary Unix code, violating SCO's copyrights. Torvalds is expected to help the OSDL work toward its original mission. The consortium was founded in August 2000 by Hewlett-Packard, Intel, IBM and NEC to help create and test new business-oriented features for Linux, such as the ability to run on multiple processors. It operates two datacentres for testing software features and also has alliances with commercial sellers of Linux, including Red Hat and SuSE. The consortium has also been expanding its recruitment efforts of late, attempting to push Linux even further into the business space. OSDL's new chief executive, Stuart Cohen, has been seeking to increase its ranks with new members. A corporate sponsorship starts at $10,000, according to the OSDL. "OSDL is a leading Linux-industry advocate with the single-minded focus of accelerating its use throughout the enterprise," Cohen said in a statement. "Linus' decision to join us is a confirmation of the importance of our mission. OSDL is the only organisation where Linux developers, customers and vendors can all participate as equals. The addition of Linus' perspective and guidance to the Lab will enhance our value to all three of these groups."

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