Intel is making a big push to help personal computer makers in China and India offer the Linux operating system on machines powered by the company’s chips.
The Santa Clara chip giant said many of its customers who develop low-cost, non-brand-name PCs want to offer the free open-source Linux operating system. Despite its close alliance with Microsoft and its Windows operating system, Intel does not want to be left out of the growing market in China and India for Linux-based computers.
Intel is offering its PC-maker customers a free software kit so they can quickly install Linux on their computers. The kit will help ensure Linux will run properly on Intel-based computers and work with printers and other devices.
Even though Linux was written by creator Linus Torvalds (news – web sites) and his group of far-flung developers to be compatible with Intel chips, the kit will make the PCs more marketable if they can run Linux out of the box.
“You can’t just put an operating system on a PC and say we are ready,” said Intel spokesman Robert Manetta. “What this allows you to do is put together a fairly well-configured PC.”
Manetta said Intel wants its chips to be used by many operating systems, not just Microsoft’s Windows. Microsoft officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
