Linux gains consumer electronics forum

Linux has received another boost with the establishment of the Consumer Electronics Linux Forum (CELF) by eight leading electronics companies, backed by IBM.

Matsushita Electric, Sony, Hitachi, NEC, Philips Electronics, Samsung, Sharp and Toshiba will use the forum to discuss and formalise specific consumer electronics extensions and improvements to Linux.

CELF said IBM was also pursuing membership with the intention of being an active participant, suggesting that the planned Linux extensions will also be applicable in business Linux implementations.

This is borne out by the list of items the forum will initially work on: faster start-up and shutdown, better real-time capabilities, reduced read only and random access memory (Rom/Ram) size requirements, and better power management.

But IBM's membership application may not be automatic. In a statement suggesting the new body was wary of SCO's lawsuit with IBM, CELF said: "CELF intends to operate completely within the letter and spirit of the open source community."

The forum is setting up an architecture group which will consider open source submissions. It will also actively promote Linux in consumer electronics, including products such as mobile phones and audio-visual devices.

"Through an open process, the CELF members will clarify and codify certain requirements to be addressed by the open source community," it said.

Members of the public will also be able to join to forum.

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