Nintendo insider Kiyoshi Saruwatari has just posted about the Wii software and he says the console will run on the open source Linux operating system. According to Saruwatari, Nintendo was able to reduce development costs by utilizing open source software and mixing a Linux kernel into the Wii software platform. A host of additional and innovative features like web browsing, file management, video playback, and emulation all run on Nintendo Wii’s custom Linux operating system, which uses a proprietary interface.

Unlike the platform, the actual games will not run under the Linux platform, and can be played without booting Linux if the user holds down the “A” button on the Wiimote (the Wii’s remote control) while the Wii is starting up. Saruwatari also says that, as a result of this Linux support, we “can count on a lot of third-party add-ons, much like Opera.” Although Linux on the Wii is nice to think and hear about, Saruwatari’s claims have not been verified by Nintendo and may just be another rumor.