Linux desktop optimism entered 2006

The open source OSDL (Open Source Development Labs) believes that the latest developments of the Portland Project show that the Linux market for desktops will really grow next year.

Project Portland was opened to develop a system of key technical requirements such as interface expansion, plug-and-play features, drivers and kernel for Linux and open source software that works on the desktop.

Portland will create a common interaction framework between Linux programs and open source software components on computers. A common framework will eliminate problems arising from consumer use as well as technical problems for ISV (independent software vendors), who want to ensure the software of They operate on many different environments, whether closed code or open code.

The organization of open standards (FSG) said Portland will be integrated in the Linux standard platform (LSB) 4.0 next year. FSG's LSB platform last month was granted ISO certification after 5 years of operation. However, it only achieved limited success due to the lack of support from the leading Red Hat distribution market.

OSDL believes Portland's potential is much higher than LSB. OSDL held a meeting between 47 companies earlier this month, among them Adobe Systems, AMD, Eclipse, FSG, Gnome, IBM, Intel, KDE, Mozilla, Nokia, OpenOffice and Red Hat.

Open source has achieved some success, although 2005 has not been considered "the year of Linux desktop" as previously predicted. WStarOffice, OpenOffice, KDE and Ximian increasingly prove to be a worthy alternative to many applications in Microsoft Office. But Dave Rosenburg, an OSDL expert, admits these open source codes can't attract a lot of users because they lack complete e-mail programs.

According to Rosenburg, Portland will encourage Red Hat or Novell to release an application package that integrates features that meet user needs. He also hopes Linux desktop will expand in 2006 thanks in part to the popularity of Firefox, currently accounting for 11.51% in the browser market.

" I don't dare say that 2006 will be 'Linux desktop year', but we are getting closer to that point. We are the real rival of Microsoft Office, " Rosenburg said.