Linux Foundation launches beta Linux Developer Network and AppChecker

The Linux Foundation's Brian Proffitt announced the launch of a beta version of LDN, the foundation's Linux Developer Network. The LDN is a community built to allowing developers to create more applications for more Linux distributions. With this in mind, the site also launched a beta of the Linux Application Checker, AppChecker.

Advertisement

The Linux Standards Base – LSB – is regarded as one of the main ways to increase Linux application compatibility between distributions, the AppChecker takes a more proactive approach. A developer can tell AppChecker to examine any binary and have it analyse that file checking its compatibility with 30 LSB certified distributions.

For binary files, AppChecker delves into the symbol table and required libraries, and compares what it finds with a database of LSB distributions. It also looks are required libraries and checks their availability on that set of distributions and is able to offer alternatives if they exist.

It is hoped that AppChecker will, as Linux developers make use of it, help not only the developers know which Linux systems they are compatible with, but also the Linux Foundation by helping build up the data they use to develop the specification for the LSB.

(djwm)