Developers meeting at the Ubuntu Developer Summit, which runs through the end of this week in Seville, Spain, will discuss details of the new Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded project, announced on Saturday.

Ubuntu programmers will develop a mobile version of their Debian-based Linux operating system in collaboration with Intel Corp., which plans a new low-power processor and chipset architecture designed to allow full Internet capability on mobile devices, according to a statement published on the Ubuntu Web site.

Challenges facing developers of the mobile edition include the design of innovative graphic interfaces and power management capabilities, according to the posting on the Ubuntu Web site.

The mobile edition is slated for release in October, together with the new Ubuntu 7.10 version.

Although the use of Linux in smartphones is still comparatively low, accounting for only around 6 percent of the market for smartphone operating systems in 2006, demand for open source will increase as more handset makers move away from older proprietary phone operating systems, Nick Spencer, an analyst with Canalys.com Ltd., said in an earlier interview. Spencer expects demand to be strong in Asia, particularly in China.

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