DCC Alliance Leads Way to Linux Standard Base 3.0 Compliance

The DCC Alliance formally released its first standards-based Debian core to serve as the foundation to its members Linux distributions this week.

The Alliance, formerly the Debian Common Core Alliance, is meant to promote the commercial adoption of Debian Linux. This new core, the DCC 3.0, is fully compliant with the LSB (Linux Standards Base) 3.0.

This, in turn, will make it easier for ISVs (independent software vendors) and IHVs (independent hardware vendors) to port their products to any DCC-based Linux that will run on all Linux distributions based on the DCC, as well as other LSB-compliant distributions.

Resource Library:

This is meant to give DCC members—credativ GmbH, Knoppix, LinEx, Linspire, Inc. MEPIS LLC, Progeny Linux Systems Inc., Sun Wah Linux Ltd., UserLinux and Xandros Inc.—a leg up in the increasingly competitive Linux business market.

The release took over a month longer than expected to arrive.

DCC 3.0 is not, however, a complete Linux distribution. It is simply the common core of essential programs or "packages" from Debian GNU with DCC Alliance member contributed additions to attain LSB compliance and achieve broad commercial acceptance and support.

So, instead of users buying DCC directly, they will soon be able to install a Linux distribution from one of the DCC Alliance members based on DCC 3.0.

The value proposition to users will be that by the Alliance guarantying application compatibility for ISVs across their distributions, and providing a single hardware certification for IHVs, there should be a larger pool of compatible programs and devices for users.

In addition to the DCC common core, the alliance has produced a DCCRI (DCC reference implementation). The DCCRI is a minimal DCC-based Linux distribution. It is meant to serve as a vehicle for integration testing, and as the baseline for the DCC Alliance certification efforts.

"The release of DCC 3.0 is a major milestone in our organizations brief history, and tangible proof that through intense collaborative effort, members with diverse objectives can rally around industry standards to advance our common commercial interests," said Ian Murdock, Debian founder and leader of the DCC Alliance in a statement.

"Debian GNU/Linux already enjoys a worldwide reputation, and DCC 3.0 is a practical first step by our alliance to help Debian achieve its rightful place in the enterprise space," Murdock added.

Check out eWEEK.coms for the latest open-source news, reviews and analysis.