Pixart
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Argentina , Argentina |
Key people | Gabriel Ortiz (CEO) |
| Products | Rxart (Linux distribution) |
Pixart SRL, established in 1998 and headquartered in Argentina, is a company dedicated to the creation of open-source software, with a primary focus on the Rxart operating system—a Linux distribution derived from Debian.
History
Pixart originally operated as the Latin American representative for Corel. Following Corel's decision to discontinue its operating system initiative, Pixart assumed control of the project, benefiting from both technical assistance and legal authorization. Corel assigned Pixart the rights to produce Spanish and Portuguese editions, whereas the English-language version was licensed to Xandros. These licensing agreements and product offerings helped establish Pixart as a prominent Linux enterprise within Latin America.
Rxart
Developed by Pixart, Rxart is a Debian-based Linux distribution that gained significant traction across Latin America, achieving an installed user base of approximately 350,000 by 2005. The operating system was launched in 1999 under the leadership of CEO Gabriel Ortiz, primarily targeting hardware assemblers. A notable milestone occurred in 2007 when Rxart version 3.2 came preloaded on Lenovo desktop computers in Argentina following a strategic partnership. The distribution supports three languages: English, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Development
Rxart is marketed pre-installed on systems sold through major retail chains in Argentina such as Garbarino, Fravega, Carrefour, Jumbo, Megatone, Sicsa, Pcarts, New Tree, and Compumundo. Its foundation is Debian GNU/Linux 3.1 (Sarge), augmented with certain proprietary software elements.
Pixart has forged collaborations with industry leaders including Sun Microsystems, IBM, Intel, AMD, PChips, Smartlink, and Biostar. In 2006, Rxart was selected as the operating system for Venezuela's pilot program involving Intel Classmate PCs. By 2007, AMD incorporated Rxart on demonstration units distributed worldwide. That same year, an agreement with Sun Microsystems enabled bundling StarOffice alongside Rxart.
Several hardware manufacturers—such as Lexmark, Epson, Intel, AMD, PCtel, Miro Technologies, HP, and Dell—provided devices to assist in driver development efforts. The name "Rxart" originates from a contributor involved in the European Union’s MANCOOSI project.