LX/07-0003

ANNUAL REPORT FOR INCITS  STUDY GROUP ON LINUX

PERIOD:  June 2006 through May 2007

Title of Group:  INCITS STUDY GROUP ON LINUX

Document Register: INCITS SGL Document Register

Submitted by Dave Thewlis,
Convenor, INCITS Study Group on Linux


Description:  The INCITS Study Group on Linux was created by the INCITS Executive Board in September, 2004  to provide an INCITS Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to develop U.S. positions and represent the United States to Linux-related activities within JTC 1 and SC 22 in the absence of a formal Technical Committee, which would only be formed upon the creation of an international Linux Subcommittee or Working Group.  The INCITS SGL is therefore both an administrative and technical group, although it is not charged with doing any actual technical work other than reviewing proposals, activities and comments and developing and furthering U.S. positions.  At the time of creation, it was the intent of the INCITS Executive Board that the INCITS SGL would be replaced by or evolve into an INCITS Technical Committee should an international Linux Subcommittee or Working Group be established within JTC 1.  As of May 2007 INCITS has not seen a need for such a TC, and the TAG responsibilities for this area remain with the INCITS Study Group on Linux.  The INCITS Study Group on Linux participates in CT 22 and is requested by CT 22 to make recommendations on any POSIX-related standards.


1.   Executive Summary

Background:  JTC 1/SC 22 was authorized by the October, 2002 JTC 1 Plenary to investigate the field of Linux standardization and determine what if any role JTC 1 should seek in this area.  SC 22 held a Linux Study Group meeting in late May in London, England, to which INCITS sent a delegation of four people.  Among the recommendations of that Study Group were that the Free Standards Group, the primary driver of Linux standardization, should seek PAS Submitter status with JTC 1 and should submit the Linux Standard Base and relevant extensions such as hardware specific extensions as PAS's; that FSG should seek Category A Liaison status with SC 22; and that a study of the differences between Linux and POSIX should be undertaken.  In September, the JTC 1/SC 22 Plenary accepted the recommendations of the Linux Study Group, established an SC 22 Linux Rapporteur Group and began investigating possible roles for SC 22 WGs in the Linux Field. 

With the establishment of the SC 22 Linux Rapporteur Group and the application of the Free Standards Group to become a PAS Submitter, the INCITS Executive Board established the INCITS Study Group on Linux to provide a U.S. TAG to the SC 22 Linux Rapporteur Group or other Linux-related activities within SC 22 or JTC 1.  At that time it was unclear whether JTC 1's involvement with Linux would ultimately result in a Linux Working Group in SC 22 (or elsewhere) or not.  The intent of the INCITS Executive Board was that the INCITS SGL would be replaced by or evolve into an INCITS Technical Committee if an international working activity began within JTC 1 in the area of Linux.  No need for this TC has appeared so far and the INCITS Study Group on Linux retains the TAG responsibility for this area.

Membership Status:  Participation in the INCITS SGL is currently at six members, five P members and an Advisory member.  Membership has remained constant for this reporting period.

Unusual Attributes:  As the INCITS Study Group on Linux was created by the INCITS Executive Board as a sort of "placeholder" to support U.S. interests until and unless a Technical Committee were to be formed, it has some slightly different characteristics than a Technical Committee.  One is that the Convenor of the INCITS SGL is required to submit a written report to the INCITS Executive Board quarterly; that is, for each meeting of the EB. Another is that it is charged with more of an administrative and coordination role than a purely technical role, and is not intended to do any standards development activities under its auspices, nor participate in any such activities in its role as TAG to Linux-related international activities of any sort within JTC 1.

In addition, with the disbandment of WG 15 POSIX within SC 22 and the associated disbandment of the US TAG to that WG, the expertise to address POSIX issues is now within the INCITS Study Group on Linux.  As a result, CT 22 has requested the study group to make recommendations on all POSIX-related matters.  As ISO/IEC 9945 POSIX is currently under revision, there is an anticipated workload for the study group associated with advising CT 22 on how best to formulate the US position with regard to ballots on this revision.


2.  Significant Accomplishments

The INCITS Study Group on Linux successfully promoted U.S. positions and interests in the February, 2004 meeting of the JTC 1/SC 22 Linux Rapporteur Group, specifically in helping to ensure that actual Linux standards development activities remain coordinated within the Free Standards Group, rather than become disbursed between FSG and its related activities, and one or more working groups or other activities within JTC 1/SC 22.  The U.S. position was first, that that the role of JTC 1 and SC 22 in Linux standardization should be as a facilitator in helping Linux specifications progress into International Standards via the PAS process, and that SC 22 Working Groups should provide information and requirements as necessary into FSG activities rather than attempt to fork the Linux standardization track with the potential for duplicative and redundant efforts.  A second major element of the U.S. position was that while convergence of Linux and POSIX was ultimately attractive, it should not be allowed to impede or disrupt the progression of Linux standardization or the adoption of Linux itself.   The third major element of the U.S. strategy was to avoid any potential for disruption of the emerging relationship between JTC 1 and the open source community.

In the period covered by this report, two LINUX/POSIX-related items have happened, although not particularly the accomplishment of the Study Group on Linux.

3.  Significant Challenges

None.

4.  Expected Challenges

It is anticipated that Draft 3 of the 9945 POSIX revision will be issued for FCD ballot by the end of June, 2007.  This document is expected to be around 3700-3750 pages, and will contain substantive changes from the previous draft in response to ballot comments received.  The ballot process used by the Austin Joint Working Group (the WG responsible for the revision) is complicated in that it must take into account comments received not only through the normal JTC 1 process, but also through the IEEE and The Open Group, where the document is being concurrently balloted.  However, each organization has a different ballot period.

The Free Standards Group has been renamed the Linux Foundation, and its LSB workgroup continues to be the principal maintainer of ISO/IEC 23360 Linux Standard Base.  The workgroup is currently preparing a technical corrigenda, and it is anticipated that the INCITS Study Group on Linux will need to review this in the next six months.


5.   Committee Activities:

a.   Previous Meetings:

Meeting #
Date
Location
1
December 2, 2003
ITI, Washington, D.C.
2
January 16, 2004
Teleconference
3
December 3, 2004
Teleconference
4
January 17, 2005
Teleconference
5
January 28, 2005
Teleconference
6
February 7, 2005
Teleconference
7
February 24, 2005
ITI, Washington, D.C.
8
 June 7, 2005
 Teleconference
9
 June 24, 2005
 Teleconference


b.   Planned Meetings:

No meetings have been scheduled at the time of submission of this document.  However, with the anticipated workload over the next six months, it is expected that there will be at least one meeting held before the end of 2007.

6.   Liaison Activities

None.

7.  Membership and Officers:

a  Officers

The INCITS Study Group on Linux has only one officer, its Convenor (Chair).

Convenor (Chair)   Dave Thewlis, Intel Corporation      (Trained October 13, 2003)

b.   Membership

Membership in the INCITS Study Group on Linux stands at six:


8.   Future Trends and Related Technical Activities

The significant issue for JTC 1 and INCITS has to do with what if any Linux-related standardization activities happen within JTC 1.  At this time, the existing model is that Linux standardization should continue to be centered in the Linux Foundation, with JTC 1 entities providing input, requirements, and suggestions via liaison with LF or other mechanisms, but not embarking on actual development of Linux standards within JTC 1.  At the same time, JTC 1 clearly has an ongoing responsibility for POSIX standardization, and there is an expressed view towards the ultimate convergence of the Linux and POSIX standards.  (The precise definition of "convergence" may be debated.) 

At this time it appears that these areas can be progressed satisfactorily by a combination of LF participation via the PAS process and liaison activities, and the participation of LF and USENIX in SC 22 activities directly where appropriate.  However, if at a future point SC 22 or another JTC 1 entity decides that it wants to aggressively pursue actual Linux standardization activities, the models would change and it isn't clear what would happen.  In a broader sense, the Linux-related process that has happened within JTC 1 can provide a useful model for future activities involving other parts of the open source community, in addition to helping to encourage standardization within that community and by progressing its specifications to become full International Standards.


9.  Other Administrative Information

The INCITS Study Group on Linux collects no fees and has no assets.

With respect to the future of the INCITS Study Group on Linux, after the successful adoption of IS 23360, the INCITS Executive Board determined that it wanted to keep the INCITS Study Group on Linux intact to deal with possible future Linux-related issues, in particular yearly corrigenda, plus the prospect in the future of other Linux-related PAS and eventually new versions of the LSB.  Ongoing liaison activities between SC 22 and the LF, plus activities related to the ultimate disposition of  POSIX-Linux convergence, and the potential for new initiatives within SC 22, suggest that there will be some degree of ongoing Linux-related activity within JTC 1 for the foreseeable future although it is not possible to predict the amount or the nature of it at this time.  Although there is no planned SC 22 parallel to the INCITS SGL, the SGL has successfully worked directly with the LF to ensure that U.S. concerns are adequately handled, and this model could be preserved to deal with future Linux issues in the absence of a formal international committee for which a U.S. Technical Committee should be formed.

SC 22 has established an advisory group to make recommendations with respect to POSIX, the POSIX Advisory Group or PAG.  While there is no direct equivalent to the PAG within the INCITS structure, the Study Group on Linux is currently fulfilling that role.


Respectfully Submitted,

Dave Thewlis
Convenor, INCITS Study Group on Linux

12 June 2007