LX/05-0001


in050007



January 4, 2005


Subject: LINUX STUDY GROUP REPORT TO THE INCITS EB - JANUARY 2005
From: Dave Thewlis, Convenor INCITS Linux Study Group



1.    At its September 2004 meeting, the INCITS Executive Board continued the INCITS Study Group on Linux in existence as the appropriate entity to develop the recommended US positions and comments on the Linux Standard Base PAS Submission from the Free Standards Group.

2.  Accordingly the SGL held a meeting by Conference Call on Friday, 3 December 2004.  Representatives from IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and USENIX participated in the Conference Call.  USENIX, which has joined J14, has requested membership on the INCITS SGL and will gain voting rights at the next meeting having participated in this conference call.

3.   The purpose of this meeting was to establish the process by which the Study Group on Linux would develop the required positions and comments on the LSB PAS Submission.  The following process was agreed:
4.  As noted in document IN/04-1417, the U.S. Recommendation is due to the Secretariat by 15 March 2005 to allow for a 30-day letter ballot and if necessary a 10-day reconsideration ballot,.  The U.S. vote must be forwarded to ANSI by 10 May, 2005.  The SGL is also required to determine if this proposed standard is unsuitable for adoption as an American National Standard.  The recommendation must be submitted along with the recommended U.S. position.

5.  As requested during the Teleconference, the Convenor attempted to contact the INCITS SGL members who were not present on the Teleconference to see if they intended to participate in the development of the U.S. position.  Hewlett-Packard and Oracle have both indicated that they will do so.  No response was received from UNISYS or from the U.S. Department of Defense.

6.   Next Meetings of the INCITS Study Group on Linux:

6.1  The SGL will hold informal teleconferences on the following schedule for status update and to resolve any outstanding difficulties:
6.2  The SGL has scheduled two in-person meetings
Any SGL member interested in hosting either of the in-person meetings is encouraged to contact the Convenor as soon as possible.