August 6, 2007 9:25 AM PDT

Lenovo thinks Linux

Lenovo will offer a version of Linux on its ThinkPad notebooks beginning in the fourth quarter, the company announced Monday.

The Chinese PC maker has selected Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 from Novell as its first supported entry into the world of open source. Though ThinkPads have been certified to run Linux in the past, this is the first time Lenovo will support the hardware and operating system directly. Novell will be responsible for providing operating system updates to Lenovo's customers. ThinkPads with Suse Linux will be available to Lenovo's commercial customers and individuals.

(Credit: Lenovo)

The announcement coincides with the opening of the LinuxWorld conference in San Francisco on Monday. Lenovo is not the only top PC manufacturer to offer a version of the open-source operating system preinstalled on its PCs. In May, Dell opted for the Ubuntu version of Linux on a smattering of notebooks and PCs. Dell should also have some Linux-related news this week as well, so stay tuned.

Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur. E-mail Erica.

Topics:: PCs,; Open source

Tags:: Lenovo,; Linux,; Novell,; open source,; notebooks,; Dell

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