Specifications have been released for Linux on mobile phones by the Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum.

The specification covers the form factor and user interface of the Linux phone reference design. It also details APIs for telephony, messaging, calendaring and scheduling, presence, user interface services, address book and voice call enablers.

“Standards-based interoperability is crucial to the success of the global telecommunications marketplace,” said Haila Wang, president of the LiPS Forum.

“LiPS is following the clear path blazed by GSM, TCP/IP, Wi-Fi and other standards that enable communications among device types and brands, over multiple operator networks and across regional markets.”

The specification is a starting point, but next year LiPS said it will build in advanced services, device management APIs and additional enabler APIs for multimedia and other functions.

The LiPS Forum was set up by industry players, including France Telecom, Orange and Huawei Technologies, to promote Linux across a wide range of mobile devices.