A community open-source effort known as the Portland Project gave the first look Tuesday at software tying together the two major Linux desktop environments, KDE and Gnome. The move should help speed the adoption of the open-source operating system on the desktop since developers won’t have to choose between the two different interfaces and tools when writing applications.The Portland Project gave its technology preview of the first set of common interfaces for Gnome and KDE at the LinuxWorld conference in Boston in conjunction with the Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) and freedesktop.org.OSDL is a worldwide consortium focused on accelerating the adoption of Linux, while freedesktop.org is an open-source project devoted to interoperability and shared technology for X Window System desktops.The project should give desktop Linux a much-needed shot in the arm, according to Stuart Cohen, chief executive officer of OSDL. Currently, desktop Linux has only about a 4 percent to 5 percent overall market share, he said in an interview in Boston. The Portland Project originated out of an OSDL desktop architects meeting on interoperability issues in Portland, Ore., in December 2005.Portland is delivering two sets of interfaces—a set of command line tools and a set of library application programming interfaces dubbed DAPI. The protocols are being released to independent software vendors for testing, with the first beta of the software due out next month. The final release of Portland 1.0 should appear in June.Another driver to grow desktop Linux usage will be increased adoption of the open-source OpenOffice desktop suite, according to Cohen. Once desktop Linux has achieved significant critical mass, he hopes that Microsoft will decide to have its Office application suite support the open-source operating system. Cohen considers the move inevitable in the same way that Microsoft eventually opted to run Office on Apple Computer’s Macintosh operating system.The Portland Project technology review can be seen online.-China Martens, IDG News ServiceCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Palo Alto Networks Operational technology systems require a robust Zero Trust strategy in 2024 Zero Trust provides a foundation for creating a stronger security posture in 2024. By Navneet Singh, vice president of marketing, network security, Palo Alto Networks Dec 05, 2023 6 mins Security brandpost Sponsored by AWS in collaboration with IBM How digital twin technology is changing complex industrial processes forever As the use cases for digital twins proliferate, it is becoming clear that data-driven enterprises with a track record of innovation stand the best chance of success. By Laura McEwan Dec 05, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by AWS in collaboration with IBM Why modernising applications needs to be a ‘must’ for businesses seeking growth Around one-third of enterprises are spending heavily on application modernisation and aiming for cloud native status. The implications for corporate culture, structure and priorities will be profound. By Laura McEwan Dec 05, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation opinion 11 ways to reduce your IT costs now Reorienting IT’s budget toward future opportunities is a big reason why CIOs should review their IT portfolios with an eye toward curbing unnecessary spending and realizing maximum value from every IT investment. By Stephanie Overby Dec 05, 2023 11 mins Budget Cloud Management IT Governance Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe