in071317
LX/07-0004

INCITS STUDY GROUP ON LINUX REPORT TO THE INCITS EXECUTIVE BOARD - AUGUST 2007

Dave Thewlis
Convener, INCITS Study Group on Linux

1.    At its September 2004 meeting, the INCITS Executive Board continued the INCITS Study Group on Linux in existence.  Originally tasked for Linux, the group also may develop and submit positions or recommendations related to POSIX.  As a memberr of CT22 the ISGL may also submit votes on CT22 ballots when appropriate.

2    INCITS SGL membership remains at six organizations:
3.   The last report submitted to the INCITS Executive Board was the Annual Report in June 2007.   This report also served as the ISGL quarterly report for the  INCITS EB meeting.

4.   There has been no activity in the INCITS Study Group on Linux since submission of my annual report.

5.   Draft 3 of the 9945 POSIX revision has been issued for FCD ballot.  This document is expected to be around 3700-3750 pages, and contains 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.

6.  The INCITS Study Group on Linux has a conference call scheduled for October 18, 2007, to discuss the FCB ballot on ISO/IEC 9945 POSIX and prepare a recommended position and comments to the INCITS Executive Board.

7.  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.

8.  In my annual report, I said "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."  The INCITS Secretariat has noted to CT 22 that this is incorrect - currently the INCITS Executive Board itself has the responsibility for US positions and ballots on POSIX, rather than CT 22. 

9.  Dave Thewlis is scheduled for Officer Training on Monday, August 27, 2007.

Respectfully Submitted,

Dave Thewlis
Convener, INCITS Study Group on Linux