The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) has stablished the OSDL Fellowship Fund, to provide financial support to software developers working on Linux and open source community projects that don’t otherwise have access to financial resources or support.

''OSDL works with users, vendors and developers to identify where additional work or resources could accelerate development efforts and spur the adoption of Linux and open source software,'' said Stuart Cohen (pictured), CEO of OSDL. ''OSDL’s new Technology Advisory Board identified the need for a fund that could be used to fill specific gaps in open source development. OSDL’s neutrality puts it in a natural position to fill this need and support efforts across the community.''

The OSDL board of directors, with input from the Technical Advisory Board (TAB), will evaluate applications for fellowship funding and determine allocation priorities and levels of financial commitment. The Fellowship Fund is the newest fund under OSDL administration. In 2005, OSDL established the IP Support Fund to help provide legal services to Linux and open source software developers. The Linux Legal Defense Fund (LLDF) was initially established in 2003 to help defend Linus Torvalds during the SCO lawsuit. Today, it supports parties threatened with litigation involving IP issues.

The OSDL also announced that members of its Desktop Linux (DTL) working group will lead an interactive panel discussion on the increasing evolution of Linux from server to desktop at the LinuxWorld East conference in Boston. The panel, ''The State of the Linux Desktop,'' is scheduled to take place on April 4, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. ET in room 104C.

The DTL panel will focus on Linux desktop markets, challenges to adoption and the desktop Linux community. The moderator is Steven Vaughan-Nichols of Ziff Davis and panelists include OSDL DTL working group members Waldo Bastian, staff engineer at Intel; Jonathan Blanford of Red Hat and GNOME; John Cherry, DTL initiative manager, OSDL; Guy Lunardi, desktop architect at Novell; Laurent Gharda, chief operating officer at Open Country; Greg Kelleher, senior program manager for worldwide Linux desktop strategy at IBM; and Steven McDowell, division manager, emerging technology, at AMD.