Coders now can try mobile Ubuntu Linux

By Stephen Shankland, CNET Tue Jun 24, 10:33 AM ET

Canonical on Tuesday released its first publicly available developer edition of Ubuntu for mobile Internet devices.

Ubuntu MID works on two devices at present, the Samsung Q1U and the Intel Crown Beach development station for building devices using the company's Atom processor. It also can be run on ordinary computers through the KVM virtualization software. A MID--a concept Intel is aggressively promoting--is a mobile device larger and more like a regular computer than, say an Apple iPhone, but smaller than an ultraportable PC.

"This release marks the start of a way for new users to experience Ubuntu and Open Source software and as the hardware becomes commonplace it will become a very exciting place to get users experiencing applications from our communities," said David Mandala, project manager of the Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Group, in a blog posting.

Canonical will release new versions of the software on the same six-month cycle as it uses for the desktop version of the open-source operating system, the company said.

"Ubuntu MID Edition, a fully open-source project, gives the full Internet, with no compromise," boasts the project description said. "All unnecessary complexity in the user experience is eliminated."

Ubuntu MID can be used with a touch screen and has a specially designed Web browser.