Intel's open source Linux-based mobile platform initiative got a big boost this month from Linux distributors and new contributors that are joining to participate in the effort. The project, which is called Moblin, aims to assemble a Linux stack that is optimized for mobile Internet devices, subnotebooks, and integrated car computing systems that are designed to use Intel's Atom processor. The latest organization to join the ranks of Moblin supporters is Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), which will be working with Intel to establish a Moblin development facility. Intel is also investing in VMAX, a mobile carrier in Taiwan that plans to roll out a WiMAX network.

Moblin is designed to provide fast boot times, finger-friendly user interfaces, low energy consumption, and a small memory footprint. Although it was originally built on top of Ubuntu, the Moblin developers have since shifted towards the Fedora ecosystem and the platform now leverages an RPM-based package model. Moblin is designed so that major Linux distributors can adopt the components and integrate them into their own software platforms. Several commercial Linux companies have already committed to making Moblin-based distributions, including Novell, Mandriva, and Good OS, the company behind the web-oriented gOS distro.

Prominent figures in the Linux community view the emerging MID and netbook markets as a big opportunity for Linux. When we talked to Linux Foundation president Jim Zemlin earlier this year, he pointed out that the low licensing costs and high flexibility of the open source Linux operating system make it a strong contender for dominance in this space. He also enthusiastically endorsed Moblin and said that he considers it to be one of the most open and community-friendly mobile Linux efforts.

Although there is a lot of potential for Linux growth on MIDs and netbooks, there are also a lot of challenges. Hardware vendors are struggling with integration issues and are having difficulty putting together drivers and delivering adequate usability. Intel's Moblin effort could help address many of those challenges by bringing together Linux distributors and hardware vendors around a shared stack that provides working drivers for common hardware components and top-level user interface elements that are well-suited for mobile devices with small screens and touch input.

The Moblin laboratory that Intel is building with Taiwan's MOEA will provide training and consulting services to hardware makers and software vendors who want to build products with or for the Moblin platform. Intel believes that this will speed up Moblin adoption and help Taiwan's hardware companies get their products to market faster.

Intel's cooperation with VMAX and $11.5 million investment is another important part of the deal. The WiMax rollout will provide a strong mobile network that will make it possible for consumers to get more out of MID products and other portable computing devices that rely on good connectivity.

Intel is putting a lot of resources into advancing mobile Linux adoption and making Moblin a solid platform for device makers. If Moblin can resolve some of the problems that have afflicted Linux device makers and offer a more cohesive platform specifically for Atom-based devices, it could be a big win for the open source operating system.