Sun says its OpenSparc initiative, to promote the development of Linux on Sun processor technology, is gaining steam.

The OpenSparc initiative was launched earlier this year as a way to promote the porting of open source operating systems and applications to Sun’s once-proprietary hardware platform. The project involved Sun releasing the specifications for its UltraSparc T1 processor, allowing Linux distributors to create ports to the platform, without having to reverse engineer or hack Sun hardware.

Sun has since announced two Linux ports to UltraSparc T1 - Gentoo Linux and Ubuntu Linux. Sun says Ubuntu has seen more than 3,000 downloads of its Sparc-based Linux distro, and over 800 Web sites are currently running Sparc-based Ubuntu. Over 3,500 downloads of the UltraSparc specifications have been counted since the project was introduced, the company adds.

Sun also announced the creation of the OpenSparc Community Advisory Board, which will help coordinate input from the open source community with the design teams at Sun. The board’s initial members will include two Sun engineers and three outside members from the hardware industry, academia and the analyst community.

The burgeoning success of the initiative - especially with such a popular Linux distro as Ubuntu - may be giving Sun’s hardware sales a boost. IDC says Sun’s server revenue climbed to $1.6 billion in the second quarter of 2006, a 15% jump from the same period a year ago.