Channel Insider content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

One major advantage Microsoft developers have over their Linux counterparts is that they have access to MSDN (Microsoft Software Developer Network), a magnificent online developer resource.

Linux has had nothing to compare. Until now.

The FSG (Free Standards Group), a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and promoting open-source software standards, announced Oct. 17 that it has partnered with O’Reilly Media to offer similar services to Linux application developers as part of its LSB (Linux Standard Base) Developer Network.

The LDN (LSB Developer Network) is meant to serve as the central, community-based source of information for software developers writing portable Linux applications.

LSB 3.1 unifies Linux desktop standards. Click here to read more.

The beta site is now open for business.

The newly minted LDN Web site currently contains a custom library of Linux content via Safari Books Online, an online reference library that’s a joint venture of O’Reilly and the Pearson Technology Group.

With this, Linux developers can go to one place for their programming information needs instead of cobbling it together from hither and yon.

Read the full story on Linux-Watch: LDN: An MSDN for Linux Developers

Check out eWEEK.com’s for the latest open-source news, reviews and analysis.