ARM and Canonical Ltd, the com

The deal will produce a version of the operating system for small net-browsing computers known as netbooks.

The new operating system for Arm-powered machines looks set to be available in April 2009.

"This is a natural development for Ubuntu, driven by the demand from manufacturers for an ARM technology-based version,"said Jane Silber, COO of Canonical. "Joining the considerable community of free software developers working on the ARM platform ensures that a fully-functional, optimized Ubuntu distribution is available to the ARM ecosystem, providing wider choice for consumers looking for the best operating system for their digital lifestyles."

This version of the Ubuntu Desktop operating system will target the ARMv7 architecture including ARM Cortex-A8 and Cortex-A9 processor-based systems.

ARM produces chip designs that firms such as TI, Qualcomm and many others turn into processors that power 70-80% of the world's mobiles.

ARM-designed chips also drive many smartphones such as the G1 - the first phone powered by Google's Android software.