LSB aims to thwart Linux fragmentation

The release of Version 2.0 of the Linux Standards Base last week is one of the strongest efforts yet by the Linux community to avoid the mistakes of its Unix technology ancestors.

The release of Version 2.0 of the Linux Standards Base last week is one of the strongest efforts yet by the Linux community to avoid the mistakes of its Unix technology ancestors.

LSB is a set of technical blueprints for how Linux code for Linux systems should be written, and what packages, languages, and hardware platforms the operating system should support. The LSB is developed by the Free Standards Group, a non-profit group that develops common Linux code. The latest iteration of the LSB opens up Linux to a broader range of applications and codifies Linux support for a wider range of processors than previously outlined.

One of the major upgrades to LSB 2.0 is application binary interface support for C++, a widely-used programming language for developing enterprise software and applications. Observers say this modification in the standard could open up Linux to run thousands of new applications based on the C++ language.

On the hardware side, LSB 2.0 outlines support for both 32- and 64-bit CPUs from a variety of vendors, including IBM’s PowerPC 64, and its mainframe S390 and S390X hardware platforms. Support for 32- and 64-bit AMD and Intel chips are also included in the standard.

Along with the specifications for LSB 2.0, the Free Standards Group has also made available testing and benchmark tools for vendors to certify if their Linux code is LSB-complaint.

Linux distributors have offered products that supported various software and hardware types for some time, but the establishment of such support in the LSB is important to ensure interoperability across all Linux flavors. Of course, the most important aspect to the success of LSB and the prevention of Linux fragmentation is vendor support. And with LSB 2.0, this is plentiful. Among the Linux distributors and IT vendors pledging LSB 2.0 support are: AMD, Conectiva, Dell, HP, IBM, Intel, Mandrakesoft, Novell, Progeny Linux Systems, Red Flag, Red Hat.