Novell CEO: Apps Are Job No. 1 for Linux

Applications is just one of several areas where Linux needs to progress, said Novell CEO Ron Hovsepian at the LinuxWorld conference in San Francisco. Virtualization and data center management are key, he argued, and Linux should take advantage of the virtualization support chipmakers are embedding in their products.

In order for Linux to grow into the computing mainstream, the open-source OS needs more applications and a standardized approach to software certification, Novell CEO Ron Hovsepian said in his keynote Wednesday at the LinuxWorld conference and trade show in San Francisco.

"The No. 1 thing that we need on Linux is applications," he said. "Whether we like it or not, the application is what drives the final customer decision," he added.