Dell, Red Hat team up on Linux

Dell Computer Corp. said Tuesday that it is boosting its use of the Linux

operating system on desktop and notebook machines by forging an alliance

with Red Hat Inc.

Mike Lambert, Dell's senior vice president, said during a teleconference

that the computer company will add Red Hat's Linux to its operating system

options, which include Microsoft Corp.'s Windows and Novell Inc.'s NetWare.

"We already have seen considerable growth in the Linux shipments," Lambert

said.

Dell ranks second in the market for sales of servers with the Linux operating

system, Lambert said. Compaq Computer Corp. is ranked first, he said, referencing

a International Data Corp. study.

Dell already provides Linux on its servers and Precision workstations. On

Tuesday, Dell added it to at least one platform in each one of its notebook

and desktop products.

Linux is sold by commercial software houses such as Red Hat that charge

users for the software and related services. It is also available for free

on the Web and is based on the open-source model of development. Developers

and users — many of them working on an unpaid basis — collaborate to modify

and update the code.