The OSDL's Desktop Linux Working Group has published a detailed “state of the desktop” report that chronicles an impressive number of significant developments during 2006. The report was based in part on 2,600 responses to the OSDL's 2006 Linux Desktop Client Survey, the results of which are also now available.

The report includes paragraphs on each of the following topics:

• Improved desktop functionality
  • New Drivers
  • Printing
  • Graphics
  • Wireless enablement
  • Pre-installed Linux
  • Sound and Multimedia
  • BIOS compatibility

• New open source and commercial applications
  • Beagle
  • Firefox
  • Lotus notes
  • LTSP
  • Mono

• Standards developments and interoperability
  • Portland Project
  • Open Document Format
  • Accessibility
  • Samba 23.0.22

• Significant activity by the Linux distributions
  • Linspire
  • Mandriva
  • Novell
  • Red Hed
  • Ubuntu
  • Xandros

The report concludes with a look at market growth that is more focused on the future than the past. Bright spots were the emergence of the One Laptop Per Child project, and the potential for Linux adoption in geographics not already “locked in” to other operating systems, the report says.

Click the links below to read this informative report, as well as the detailed results of the 2006 Linux Desktop Client Survey. You're sure to discover a few interesting facts about how Linux continues to grow and prosper on the desktop:

• Desktop Linux 2006: The Year in Review
• Results from the OSDL's 2006 Desktop Linux Survey

The OSDL's Data Center group earlier touted recent serviceability improvements in Linux. Also, don't miss our own recap of top embedded Linux news for 2006.

Finally, in case you missed this week's big story, the OSDL and the FSG have combined forces to form the Linux Foundation.

 
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