NVIDIA isn't the only one looking to expand its Linux team, but AMD is now in a mad dash to dramatically ramp up its engineering teams. AMD has been looking to hire at least another open-source developer in recent months to work on its graphics stack, but Advanced Micro Devices has now announced they're looking to hire over one thousand "tech professionals" where the software engineers are skilled in Linux and open-source development.

From AMD's hiring spree announcement: "Semiconductor maker AMD is moving forward with plans to move into cloud computing and roll out new hardware and software products. The company wants to hire more than 1,000 tech professionals worldwide, primarily design engineers, software professionals and IT specialists...Since AMD supports open-source software, it looks for software engineers skilled in Linux development, C/C++, Ruby and Java, primarily for its offices in Sunnyvale, Calif., and Toronto. Also, the company seeks OpenGL and OpenCL software developers who know C/C++ and graphics...To a lesser degree, AMD's looking for firmware developers to work in Austin, Texas. They'll develop software to validate products and should be skilled in Linux environments using C/C++, Ruby, Java, and x86 assembly. Previous firmware development experience helps. On the hardware side, analog design engineers with backgrounds in electrical engineering and specific ClSI and ASIC design skills are needed."

It's certainly a good time to be a Linux engineer and it will be interesting to see what comes of AMD's new open-source Linux engineers.