AMD, Intel expand Linux support
The chip rivals bolster their support for Linux in separate deals to provide developers with software for Internet appliances.
As previously reported, Intel and Hewlett-Packard released programming tools for developing Linux applications for Intel's Itanium processor.
The two companies are distributing a free developer's toolkit for testing and running Linux applications. HP developed the toolkit's core component, the IA-64 emulator, which allows the development and testing of Linux applications for Itanium on existing Intel processors.
"Broad availability of Linux applications is an important component of HP's Itanium processor-based server and workstation environment," Mike Balma, director of marketing for HP's Open Source and Linux operation, said in a statement. "HP's simulator gives ISVs and open-source developers the opportunity to accelerate their ports to IA-64 and bring applications to market more quickly."
Not to be left out, AMD announced a strategic relationship with Lineo for providing embedded systems developers with Linux software for Internet appliances.
The two companies will collaborate on providing Lineo's Embedix Linux on AMD's entire processor line, including K6 and Athlon.
"By including Embedix Linux in the AMD development kits, we are able to eliminate many of the hardware and software integration issues experienced by developers when designing embedded solutions," Lineo CEO Bryan Sparks said in a statement.
Also this week
, IBM upped its support for Linux on larger servers and portables as well as software and services.
Gartner analyst George Weiss warned Linux still has a long way to go in proving its viability against mature commercial operating systems. "There are factors users have to be particularly concerned about: the relative immaturity of Linux and its penetration into the enterprise with regard to its scalability and availability and many other factors," he said.
Unlike competing commercial operating systems, such as Microsoft's Windows 2000 or Solaris from Sun Microsystems, Linux is an open-source effort where many programmers continually contribute to its development.