Ubuntu for smartphones approaching

The South African maker of the Ubuntu operating system says it is making available a developer preview of its smartphone version. Canonical, intent on pushing its Ubuntu Linux system into the smartphone arena, said it would release the Touch Developer Preview of Ubuntu Feb. 21, ZDNet reported Tuesday. The developer release would support the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 smartphones to start, Canonical said. This first code release is primarily "intended for enthusiasts and developers, to familiarize themselves with Ubuntu's smartphone experience and develop applications on spare handsets," the company said. While the release is for the Nexus smartphone line, Canonical said it will enable "developers to port the platform to other devices. Developers who have experience bringing up phone environments will find it relatively easy to port Ubuntu to current handsets." "This release marks the threshold of wider engagement -- both with industry and community," Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu, said in a statement. "For developers, contributors and partners, there is now a coherent experience that warrants attention. The cleanest, most stylish mobile interface around." The release would debut at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, this month, Canonical said.