Salt Lake City, UT — (press release excerpt) — When Linux4.TV launched on August 22, 2001, set-top box developers around the world embraced the website as a premiere destination for serious set-top box development based on open-source software and open standards.

Even before the site officially opened, traffic was flooding in from websites such as Yahoo, Slashdot, LinuxDevices.com, Tom's Hardware, and a multitude of others. By the end of the first day, more than 10,000 developers from more than 60 countries had flocked to the site to take advantage of the online resources, to download software and documentation, and to register as project developers.

The latest website statistics for Linux4.TV confirm the site's popularity with visitor traffic from 74 countries resulting in over 22,000 unique user sessions. More than 175 software developers and organizations have registered to participate in open-source set-top box development. In total, over 14,000 unique visitors have downloaded almost 10,000 copies of open-source projects and associated documentation.

Due to overwhelming initial response and the larger than expected numbers of registered developers, the supply of development boards and reference platforms was quickly depleted. Plans are already in motion to manufacture more systems — and the development of a new, lower-cost development board is underway and scheduled for availability in the early part of 2002.

Based on early visitor feedback, the site no longer requires visitors to register to access documentation and open-source projects. On-going feedback to the Linux4.TV website team has been essential in setting the schedule of website enhancements, which visitors to the website will see in the weeks and months ahead.

In the near future, expect to see more robust source code support, including a CVS repository, bug-tracking system, task assignments, patch postings, and other refinements to the projects portion of the website. Hundreds of new documents and open-source projects related to set-top boxes will be posted, and links to new online resources will appear. Enhanced mailing lists, discussion forums, and online technical engineering support are also part of the Linux4.TV expansion plans.

The open-source developer community is already rallying around Linux4.TV, which promises to become one of the greatest online resources for the development of Linux-based interactive TV's and set-top boxes. Please “stay tuned.”

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.