As recently reported on Advisor.com (http://linuxadvisor.net/Articles.nsf/aid/COLEC173), Caldera, Conectiva, Suse, and Turbolinux have teamed to create a standard code base for business-oriented Linux, named UnitedLinux. The group aims to take on dominant Linux vendor Red Hat, which is widely accepted as the market leader among Linux distribution vendors (claiming approximately 52 percent of the Linux operating system market), and which recently released an enterprise-level version of Linux for businesses, Red Hat Advanced Server (http://advisor.com/Articles.nsf/aid/SMITT629). Toward that end and to speed Linux's penetration into business environments, the companies will combine their research and development resources, build all their future Linux distributions from common code they share, and work to make it easier for application vendors to certify their offerings on multiple distributions.

Isn't all Linux "standard"?

To anyone familiar with the Linux development process -- or the process of any open source project -- this pact may be confusing. After all, Linux distributions, because of the nature of open source development, all come from a common source of code, called a kernel. Why, then, do vendors have to enter into an agreement to standardize on a code set? Isn't such an agreement redundant?

ADVISOR recently spoke with Caldera Vice President of Corporate Development Benoy Tamang, who's responsible for the company's UnitedLinux initiative, to find answers to these questions.

Tamang explains the seeming contradiction of "open source Linux vs. standard Linux" using an atom metaphor. Linux development efforts result in two levels of code: core kernel software (the nucleus) that interacts with hardware, and additional "packages" (electrons) that interact with the kernel to provide different types of functions, such as printing operations, booting, etc. Developers create numerous versions of these packages that do the same things, and vendors can choose from among them to create their own "proprietary" version. What the UnitedLinux participants have done is standardize upon a subset of these packages to provide a single, consistent Linux distribution optimized for businesses, rather than the home computing environment. Each vendor will then add its own products and services to the core and sell it individually.

The benefit to application development companies is they can simply certify their applications for UnitedLinux, rather than for each vendor's distribution. In particular, this will save development time (programmers won't have to tailor their applications for all four UnitedLinux vendors), so independent software vendors can create more applications for users. This growth in available applications will then make Linux a more viable option for IT departments looking to switch their companies to open source, and help the UnitedLinux companies compete with Red Hat.

Standards-based

Linux standards have existed before, but never have so many key vendors come together to agree upon core technology that will ensure compatibility across distributions.

Tamang explains, "[The UnitedLinux vendors] said, 'We want to base this version of the Linux business product on standards that would make it easier for all the application vendors out there to be able to write to, and create more applications so we have more choices for the business consumer.'"

One of these standards is Linux Standard Base (LSB). This binary interface is what lets application vendors code their programs once (to the LSB specification), and have it run on any LSB-certified Linux. Tamang says LSB support means more applications will become available that work on more versions of Linux.

UnitedLinux also supports the Li18nux internationalization standard. "We want to write the code in such a way that the code is already internationalized," Tamang says. "Down the road, to release the new product in different languages, all that will be required is a few tweaks to localize, and that product can be translated into multiple languages.

"We believe standards are important to provide structure and rigidity to an initiative. We don't want people having to tweak it [for specific use]."

Caldera and the other UnitedLinux firms plan to compete with Red Hat based on their standards support, which they hope will make UnitedLinux more attractive to developers who want to write applications to the largest possible audience.

Caldera itself will also focus on its services strategy. The company now offers support services for other versions of Linux, not just its own (see http://advisor.com/Articles.nsf/aid/SMITT661). Tamang stresses that the company's services will attract customers who want to work with a vendor that can handle all Linux systems running within a company, regardless of the original vendor.

No threat to open source

Some might view the UnitedLinux announcement as giving vendors (rather than community members) too much control over Linux. But Tamang explains that Caldera will continue to support and work with the open source development community.

"All the initiatives we're undertaking still involve the open source community, and we're dependent upon them for new releases, updates ... things the community as a whole does. ... We also have open source contributions made by our own developers, on their professional and personal time. This isn't a one-way street; we're giving and taking simultaneously." In this sense, Tamang says, UnitedLinux will work with the Linux community in the same way any individual company does.

Choosing sides?

Another concern is that UnitedLinux will transform the market into a "Java vs. Microsoft" scenario in which UnitedLinux battles Red Hat for application vendor support and customers must choose between the two versions. Gartner analysts George Weiss and Andrew Butler say that, unless UnitedLinux teams or works closely with Red Hat, it will fail to deliver the single, standard Linux it promises. The reason is simple: Red Hat's share of the North American market will make it difficult for software vendors to throw their support behind one technology. The problem could grow as continued work on the operating system creates more instances of divergence between the two camps.

IBM has already announced its support for UnitedLinux across its hardware, software, and services offerings. (IBM will continue to support Red Hat in these areas, as well.) Other vendors who've announced their support include Computer Associates, HP, and SAP.

Oracle, the leader and IBM's main competition in the relational database market, recently announced an agreement with Red Hat to make "collective commitments to Linux for the enterprise." The two companies will work with Dell to develop, test, and market enterprise-class Linux solutions based on Dell PowerEdge Servers and Dell/EMC and PowerVault storage systems, Oracle9i Database Release 2 with Real Application Clusters, and the Red Hat Linux Advanced Server operating system. Oracle has also been working with Red Hat on technical enhancements to Advanced Server.