ARM, with backing from IBM, Freescale, Samsung, ST-Ericsson and TI, has set up a not-for-profit open source software engineering company called Linaro to bring some order to the Linux operating systems running on the welter of different ARM-based System-on-Chips (SoCs).

Evidently a tidy packet worth tens of millions is going into this thing. Well, it is meant to put a stick in Wintel's rounder wheel.

The idea is to smooth out the kinks in ARM's ecosystem, reduce the engineering time spent on non-differentiating, low-level software that touches the silicon, cut time-to-market and improve performance.

It's got the high-profile distributions in mind like Android, LiMo, MeeGo, Ubuntu and webOS and doesn't much care what they're going into - smartphones, tablets, digital televisions, automotive entertainment or enterprise equipment.

It wants to create "software commonality" and increase compatibility across semiconductors passing it along to developers and manufacturers along with help in forming alliances.

Every six months Linaro is supposed to release optimized tools, kernel and middleware software validated for the range of ARM SoCs made by multiple companies so there's a stable base for distributions and developers.

Canonical is cast as a special engineering partner. Linaro's development will leverage some of Canonical's infrastructure such as LaunchPad.

By providing a common foundation of tools and software for the distributions and stacks to build on, Linaro is supposed to provide "greater operational efficiency for the electronics industry."

The outfit's first software and tools drop is due in November and will be for ARM's Cortex family. It means to license any widgetry under an "appropriate OSI-approved license."

Linaro engineers are also supposed to contribute to a wide range of open source projects covering tools, kernel, graphics and boot code.

The operation intends to work with the Linux Foundation "to align on core operating principles."

Additional partners are expected to join.

Linaro is located at ARM headquarters in the UK. TI is supplying its co-executive officer Tom Lantzsch, ARM the other Ben Cade. Linaro's CTO is ARM Fellow David Rusling. Head of engineering is Canonical's Christian Reis, a k a Kiko, its Launchpad.net boss for five years. Global alliances and operations are being run by ARM people. The Wall Street Journal says they'll start with 80 people.

See www.linaro.org