VA Linux Pumps Up Developer Resources

VA Linux Systems (Nasdaq: LNUX) has joined a number of prosperous companies that are pumping up developer resources for the Linux community by announcing a new service to help accelerate the development of Linux applications.

The new SourceForge CompileFarm service, a part of the VA Linux SourceForge resource site, will give open-source developers the ability to build and test applications on multiple versions of both the Linux and BSD (Berkeley System Distribution) operating systems over the Internet.

CompileFarming

CompileFarm will initially allow testing on Linux distributions by Caldera, Debian, Red Hat Linux and Slackware, along with FreeBSD. The service allows developers to switch to any supported distribution, from a single command line, for the purpose of compiling and testing programs in multiple environments.

VA Linux, which also recently launched a program to support computer industry hardware and software vendors, makes the service available at no charge to open-source developers. Other new developer resources include Web-based tools designed to simplify the handling of code submissions and support requests for project administrators.

According to VA Linux, SourceForge has grown steadily at a rate of approximately 15 percent per week since its January 2000 launch. The resource hosts over 2,500 open-source projects and more than 15,700 registered users.

Linux is a UNIX-based, open-source operating system that grew largely by way of an online, open development model and the efforts of international volunteer developers.

Reinvesting in Development

Other key Linux players, such as Red Hat, have devoted proceeds from the so-called “Linux gold rush” to push development.

In November 1999, the Durham, North Carolina-based Linux vendor founded the Red Hat Center for Open Source (RHCOS) to “sponsor, support, promote and engage in a wide range of projects intended to advance the social principles of open-source for the greater good of the general public,” according to a company statement. Working with an initial funding of $8 million (US$) in a combination of cash and Red Hat stock, RHCOS backs open-source development projects.

About VA Linux

In February, VA Linux added significant weight to its development efforts with the high profile acquisition of Andover.Net (Nasdaq: ANDN), a company that runs a network of open-source and Linux-related Web sites.

The Sunnyvale, California-based company is a provider of open-source software, professional services and technical support. The company owns and operates several open-source Web sites, including Linux.com and Themes.org.