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Compaq has unveiled a series of new programs designed to attract developers to the Linux operating system and create more applications for everything from servers to handheld devices.

Taking jabs at rival IBM, another Linux advocate, Compaq executives say their initiatives are more than sufficient to compete with Big Blue. IBM recently announced it will pump $1 billion into its Linux business.

Compaq is also running a contest to see which developer can build the best Linux application for the IPaq. The winner will be announced at the LinuxWorld conference in August.

Developers in Europe are experimenting with putting Linux on IPaqs, and Compaq is considering offering Linux as an option on its personal digital assistants, officials say, although they offer no time frame for such a move. Compaq's handhelds are part of Microsoft's Pocket PC architecture and currently run a version of Windows CE.

Compaq did the initial port of Linux to the IPaq and made the documentation available to the open source community, the officials say.

"If you want to put Linux on an IPaq, we can show you how to do it," says Judy Chavis, manager of Compaq's Linux program office.

Compaq would seriously consider customer requests for a large number of IPaqs with Linux installed on them, she adds.

Expanding Linux on Servers

Compaq is bolstering Linux development in other arenas as well, making tools and services available. Company officials say Compaq will introduce tools and services by the third quarter that will make it easier for developers to move applications between its Tru64 version of Unix and servers running Linux. Compaq also plans to join the Linux Lab project, aimed at improving the operating system.

The company is partnering with a number of smaller software companies to certify various clustering configurations for a Linux environment on its high-end and midrange servers. Users can cluster ProLiant servers into a single computing platform.

Compaq dominates the Linux server segment, according to recent figures from market researcher IDC. Revenue from the sale of Linux servers grew 49 percent in the first quarter, to $443 million, IDC says. Compaq took the top spot with 22 percent market share, followed by IBM and Dell, also a Linux booster in some markets.

Compaq officials will not say how much the company is spending on its Linux projects, or how its investment stacks up against that of IBM.

"We cannot give an overall figure on the cost," says Michael Winkler, executive vice president of global business units for Compaq, during a conference call with press and analysts. "It is spread across different parts of the company."

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