PR: VIA Launches Open Source Driver Development Portal

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»PR: VIA Launches Open Source Driver Development Portal

VIA has unveiled its new Linux portal site dedicated to providing better open source drivers. Though the site is pretty much bare at the moment, it shows that VIA is working on better supporting the community. The press release follows...

Taipei, Taiwan, 30 April 2008 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the launch of a beta version of the VIA Linux Portal as part of an initiative designed to extend collaboration with the Open Source community.

The VIA Linux Portal will initially offer graphics drivers for the VIA CN896 digital media IGP chipset for the new Ubuntu 8.04 LTS distribution. Documentation and source code for these drivers will be released over the coming weeks, with official forums and bug tracking scheduled for implementation later this year. The VIA Linux Portal will also adhere to a regular release schedule that is aligned with kernel changes and the release of major Linux distributions.||P|A|G|E||Sponsored by Canonical Ltd., Ubuntu is released every six months, with Ubuntu 8.04 LTS the latest release in what has been consistently rated among the most popular of the many GNU/Linux distributions in the PC space.

"We welcome the steps being taken by VIA to improve its support to the Open Source community," said Chris Kenyon, Director of Business Development at Canonical. "We look forward to working with VIA to ensure these drivers get built into Ubuntu by default and that Ubuntu developers and users enjoy a great experience when using VIA platforms."

"VIA is excited to be taking a more active role within the open source ecosystem," said Richard Brown, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Opening the VIA Linux Portal is an important step in our long term open source initiative and offering support for Ubuntu, one of the most widely known of the Linux distributions, is an ideal place to start."

The beta version of the VIA Linux Portal is located at http://linux.via.com.tw and currently offers driver files for Ubuntu 8.04 LTS and SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 Service Pack 1 for the VIA CN896 chipset with two south bridge options.

About VIA Technologies, Inc.

VIA Technologies, Inc is the foremost fabless supplier of power efficient x86 processor platforms that are driving system innovation in the PC, client, ultra mobile and embedded markets. Combining energy-saving processors with digital media chipsets and advanced connectivity, multimedia and networking silicon enables a broad spectrum of computing and communication platforms, including its widely acclaimed ultra compact mainboards. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, VIA's global network links the high tech centers of the US, Europe and Asia, and its customer base includes the world's top OEMs and system integrators. http://www.via.com.tw

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