LINA is a thin virtual layer that enables developers to write and compile code using ordinary Linux tools, then package that code into a single executable that runs on a variety of operating systems. LINA runs invisibly in the background, enabling the user to install and run LINAfied Linux applications as if they were native to that user's operating system.

• Integrated with the underlying platform LINA enables Linux applications to run on Windows, Mac OS X, and UNIX operating systems with native look and feel. GUI applications running on LINA are indistinguishable from the other applications on the user's machine because they utilize the native libraries of the underlying operating system. LINA integrates native Linux command line applications directly into the DOS, Mac OS X, or UNIX console. The configuration files of Web applications that run on LINA are fully accessible and editable.
• Native application installers With LINA, a developer who has packaged a application for Debian can instantly convert it to a univeral LINA binary with a single command. Using this binary, an icon file, and an XML configuration file, LINA automatically generates native installers for Windows, Mac OS X, and all of the different Linux/Unix variants. This allows a single developer to accomplish work in a day that normally requires a team of developers several weeks or months. We are currently working on creating a unified application installer so that LINA applications can be installed on all platforms with the same installer.
• Uniform Development and Runtime Environment LINA provides a complete uniform environment for developers and applications. The LINA developer never needs to guess where dependencies are or whether they even exist on the platform. The application sees the same environment every time.
• High-level Abstractions LINA's uniform operating system environment allows developers to programmatically create, modify and deploy entire operating systems and networks including all of their components. This enables file systems, kernel modules, and other system resources to be portable across operating systems and modifiable through APIs. Programming can thus be done from a network and operating system perspective rather than just a process perspective.
• A Multitude of Programming Languages LINA is capable of running applications written in any language native to Linux including C, C++, Python, Ruby, Java, C#, etc. The LINA library currently supports C++ development and more bindings are planned in the future. In addition, we will soon be including ports of the GTK and QT libraries to allow the numerous applications written to these libraries to run on LINA.
• Complex Binaries LINA enables multiple programs, files, and resources to be packaged together into a single binary. This allows developers to create complex virtual appliances consisting of a number of applications configured to interact with each other. For instance, a web application can be packaged to include a properly set-up datatbase, all the necesary Perl modules and a fully-configured instance of Apache.
• Community Driven Development of LINA is community driven. In addition to being open source, source control accounts are given to frequent contributors to the project. The future of the project is planned publicly through mailing lists, forums, and IRC. See the LINA community website at www.openlina.org website for more information about how to get involved.