The development team that will focus on Linux's desktop operating system (OS), a key component of the joint efforts by the Chinese, Japanese and South Korean governments to promote Linux development in Asia, is in place.

A senior official with China's representatives on the OSS (open-source software) Industry Promotion Alliance, an organization formed by governments, companies and institutions from the three nations, expects some achievements by September, when the organizaion holds its annual forum.

"The first team, responsible for technological development and assessment, specifically desktop Linux development, is on the go," says Lu Shouqun, chairman of China OSS Industry Promotion Alliance.

"And we may see some results before the next meeting."

The OSS Northeastern Asian Forum, an official summit attended by representatives of the three nations, will be held in September in Beijing, and will become an annual event beginning this year, says Ding Wenwu, director of the Ministry of Information Industry's Electronics and Information Products Management Department.

The forum was held three times last year.

Lu says China, responsible for software development, is playing a leading role. Japan will conduct tests to ensure the software is stable and compatible with Microsoft's Windows. South Korea will develop security models.

The development of Linux's desktop operating system is crucial to Linux's campaign in Asia, where Windows has a virtual monopoly, in terms of both enterprise and individual users, says Lu.

"China has advantages among the three members in this regard, with experts from OSDL and wide participation of Linux vendors," he notes.

The Open-source Software Development Lab (OSDL), the world's major non-profit organization that offers technology for Linux development, has been a member of the OSS alliance. The lab has world-leading technologies in desktop Linux, data centre Linux and carrier-grade Linux (CGL).

In addition, China's huge market potential in adopting Linux has attracted more than 30 IT (information technology) giants such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Oracle and Linux developers, including RedHat and Novell, to join the alliance, Lu says.

Compared with the popularity of Linux OS in servers worldwide, desktop Linux is far from popular, due largely to the lack of Linux-based applications.

Development of desktop Linux has generated little interest amongst Linux vendors, including RedHat and Novell, and the Japanese and South Korean governments in the early days of the strategic alliance.

However, computer desktops have come to be a major battlefield on which Linux by offering cheaper, safer solutions can challenge Windows.

"Surely it will take some time to develop sufficient applications, solve the compatibility problem, and ensure users they can easily shift from Windows to Linux. But Linux will be accepted on desktops," says Xia Fang, manager for strategic co-operation of OSDL's China office.

Development of desktop Linux is the strategic focus of Novell's global business, says Lolley Luo, Novell China's marketing and channels director.

"We are transferring the desktop software on our computers to Linux this year," he says.

All of Novell's 7,000 employees worldwide will adopt Linux on their desktops. About 2,000 have already completed the process, Luo says.

Xia suggests the OSS alliance creates an effective mechanism to promote the industrialization process of desktop Linux.

Apart from the development team for desktop Linux operating systems, two other teams are also initiated under the Linux alliance one will provide personnel training and education, and the other will provide testing and certification.

So far, China has established 40 training centres for Linux development, which is assigned as a course in dozens of China's colleges and universities, Luo says.

China, Japan and South Korea will hold Linux development contests for youngsters, and a reward ceremony for the contests' winners will be held during the September summit, says Ding.

The team responsible for testing and certification will draft technological standards to ensure Linux's versions are compatible among the three nations, says Luo.

Even though Linux software developed worldwide share the same source code, the different approaches to encoding have resulted in more than 300 versions of the program that do not complement each other.

China, Japan and South Korea will support and contribute to the international Linux standard, while stipulating national or regional standards.

(China Daily 06/13/2005 page7)