Dell on Linux Bandwagon

Dell Computer Corp., the top supplier of corporate PCs, became the latest computer maker to throw support to Linux, an alternative to Microsoft Corp.’s Windows software. Dell said it had taken an equity stake in closely held Red Hat, a leading supplier of Linux software, and is now offering to install Linux on some Dell server and workstation computers and will shortly offer it on desktops. Linux, a variant of the Unix software system used to run large-scale business operations, is maintained by a far-flung group of software programmers instead of being controlled by one company, as Unix and rival Windows NT from Microsoft are. As such, Linux presents a growing challenge to existing software systems, although its use on desktop PCs has so far been limited.