TimeSys Corp. announced today that its OSDL-registered Carrier Grade Linux (CGL) 2.0 reference distribution for PowerPC has also become the first embedded Linux distribution to conform to LSB version 1.3. The Linux Standards Base (LSB) aims to promote Linux interoperability and combat “fragmentation,” or fracturing into non-interoperable forks.

Linux vendors that comply with the LSB achieve interoperability with application software written to the standard, according to the Free Standards Group (FSG). This simplifies the development and porting of applications by developers, who can rely on a clear set of APIs (application programming interfaces), ABIs (application binary interfaces), and other system-level standards. It also guarantees that users of the distributions will not get locked into a proprietary software environment.

The LSB is also a fundamental component of other industry standards, including the OSDL's Carrier Grade Linux specification and the Embedded Linux Consortium's ELC Platform Specification.

Standards advocate

TimeSys, which joined the Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) in June of 2003 and became a member of the Consumer Electronics Linux Forum (CELF) in August of the same year, has been an early supporter of new standards in its embedded Linux distributions and development tools. After the 2.6 Linux kernel was officially launched, TimeSys became the first embedded Linux vendor to release a 2.6-based embedded Linux for PowerPC, and quickly produced development tools supporting any 2.6 kernel, not to mention a timely series of detailed, technical whitepapers and Webinars devoted to porting applications and drivers to the 2.6 kernel. Last October, the company also announced that it was the first to ship a “CGL-Registered” Carrier Grade Linux that supports “any PowerPC or x86 platform.”

“The achievement of LSB certification is a natural extension of our leadership as the only embedded Linux vendor commercially supporting OSDL CGL 2.0,” TimeSys CEO Larry Weidman said, in a statement. “We are strongly committed to integrating the most advanced technology into our products while driving and supporting the standardization efforts critical to the continued market adoption of Linux.”

Latest LSB developments

The FSG released version 2.0 of the LSB last September, adding a C++ ABI (application binary interface) and support for 32-bit and 64-bit hardware architectures, among other changes.

Last week, the FSG announced its intention to split the Linux Standards Base into modular components, but the move has met with overwhelmingly positive reactions, with little fear that the move will “fragment” Linux, sources say. IDC analyst Dan Kuznetzky commented that the move makes sense given the differing embedded, server, and desktop market requirements, according to a story at eWEEK.com.

 
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