PalmSource acts on Linux ambitions

The company behind the Palm operating system, PalmSource, has just signed a technology partnership agreement with Montavista Software. Montavista, which specialises in GNU/Linux systems for wireless devices, is best known for its Mobilinux products for mobile phones.

Mobilinux has caught the eye of PalmSource, which will join the Mobilinux Open Framework programme under the agreement. The aim of the deal is "to further accelerate the development of next-generation Linux-based mobile phones", the two companies said.

The pair will share their research and development resources with the aim of creating software which will "combine the best of the Mobilinux and PalmSource operating systems" but the companies didn't give further details on upcoming products.

With this partnership, PalmSource has reaffirmed its conversion to open source -- which began in 2004 with the purchase of China Mobilesoft. The Chinese firm also produced an OS for mobiles based on the open source Linux kernel.