Red Hat on Thursday announced that Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 4, scheduled for release in February, will support Bengali language.

The Red Hat Enterprise Linux Bengali version would include productivity applications such as office suite with a word processor, spread sheet, presentation tool as well as a web browser and an e-mail client.

The version would also feature the Gnome desktop with localised Red Hat tools for systems administration, which makes tasks such as adding printers, connecting to Internet possible through the local language interface. The installation guide would also be in Bengali.

Red Hat on Thursday demonstrated the beta version at Infocom 2004. Speaking on the occasion, West Bengal IT Minister Manabendra Mukherjee said, "We welcome the availability of Linux in Bengali. The use of open source and Linux will certainly bring benefits of information technology to almost every citizen of West Bengal."