Linux Standard Base 3.2 Released
The Linux Foundation has released version 3.2 of Linux Standard Base (LSB) which promise improved support for Perl, Python, printers and multimedia.
The non-profit organization did not actually intend to tackle multimedia capabilities until version 4.0 of LSB. Due to the significance of multimedia for the desktop, the Linux Foundation now has at least trial use support for the ALSA sound system, and for the Portland project’s xdg-utils. The other changes in LSB 3.2 are more or less on schedule: as agreed at the conference in November, the LSB team has improved printer support in collaboration with the OpenPrinting workgroup. LSB 3.2 now has complete support for the Perl and Python programming languages. This means that Perl and Python applications will run on most Linux platforms in the future, no matter whether they were specially coded for the operating system or for cross-platform deployment.
Another feature of LSB is trial use modules which replace the previous "optional" modules. The LSB team hopes to accelerate certification in future without forcing stakeholders to support module in the test phase. Various Freedesktop.org working group standards have been implemented in menu and icon design. The FreeType and Xrender font libraries are now supported.
LSB provides a common platform for application developers, giving them the ability to cater to multiple distributions of the Linux operating system with a single software package. Several Linux distributions certify their developments with LSB, including Debian, Novell, Red Hat, Ubuntu, Mandriva, and Xandros.
Linux Standard Base 3.2 specifications with test applications and developer tools are available now from the Linux Foundation website.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for two weeks.
-
RingReaper Malware Poses Danger to Linux Systems
A new kind of malware exploits modern Linux kernels for I/O operations.
-
Happy Birthday, Linux
On August 25, Linux officially turns 34.
-
VirtualBox 7.2 Has Arrived
With early support for Linux kernel 6.17 and other new additions, VirtualBox 7.2 is a must-update for users.
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.
-
A New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle, a Linux AI assistant, works with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.