Orange and PalmSource are among a group of companies working to standardise Linux so it can be used on a variety of mobile phones without the need to check applications will run effectively. Ten companies are backing the formation of a new standards group.

The Linux Phone Standards Forum (LIPS) hopes to offer an alternative to Symbian and Microsoft's mobile operating systems. The group wants to set a standard profile for low-end phones by the end of the first quarter of 2006 followed by higher-end handsets in 2007.

It hopes to complement the work of the Mobile Linux Initiative, from the Open Source Development Labs, which is also working to encourage use of Linux on mobile devices.

Lips will work to provide APIs so programmers can make applications work more easily with the operating system.

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