An alternative to conventional software engineering processes is to share source code freely to programmers. Some are strong believers in this approach. Examples of this approach include Linux and the free Apache Web Server.
Apache Software Foundation - The Apache Software Foundation provides support for the Apache community of open-source software projects. The Apache projects are characterized by a collaborative, consensus based development process, an open and pragmatic software license, and a desire to create high quality software that leads the way in its field. They consider themselves not simply a group of projects sharing a server, but rather a community of developers and users. The widely-used Apache HTTP Server is one notable open0source project.
CVS Revision Control System Software - CVS is a version control system, an important component of Source Configuration Management (SCM). Using it, you can record the history of sources files, and documents. It fills a similar role to the free software RCS, PRCS, and Aegis packages.
CVS is a production quality system in wide use around the world, including many free software projects.
While CVS stores individual file history in the same format as RCS, it offers the following significant advantages over RCS:
* It can run scripts which you can supply to log CVS operations or enforce site-specific polices.
* Client/server CVS enables developers scattered by geography or slow modems to function as a single team. The version history is stored on a single central server and the client machines have a copy of all the files that the developers are working on. Therefore, the network between the client and the server must be up to perform CVS operations (such as checkins or updates) but need not be up to edit or manipulate the current versions of the files. Clients can perform all the same operations which are available locally.
* In cases where several developers or teams want to each maintain their own version of the files, because of geography and/or policy, CVS's vendor branches can import a version from another team (even if they don't use CVS), and then CVS can merge the changes from the vendor branch with the latest files if that is what is desired.
* Unreserved checkouts, allowing more than one developer to work on the same files at the same time.
* CVS provides a flexible modules database that provides a symbolic mapping of names to components of a larger software distribution. It applies names to collections of directories and files. A single command can manipulate the entire collection.
* CVS servers run on most unix variants, and clients for Windows NT/95, OS/2 and VMS are also available. CVS will also operate in what is sometimes called server mode against local repositories on Windows 95/NT.
Freshmeat - Freshmeat maintains a large index of Unix and cross-platform software, themes and related "eye-candy", and Palm OS software. Thousands of applications, which are preferably released under an open source license, are meticulously cataloged in the freshmeat database, and links to new applications are added daily. Each entry provides a description of the software, links to download it and to obtain more information, and a history of the project's releases, so readers can keep up-to-date on the latest developments.
Internet Systems Consortium (ISC) - Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. (ISC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation dedicated to supporting the infrastructure of the universal connected self-organizing Internet—and the autonomy of its participants—by developing and maintaining core production quality software, protocols, and operations.
Linux Operating System. - Linux is a free Unix-type operating system originally created by Linus Torvalds with the assistance of developers around the world. Linux is an independent POSIX implementation and includes true multitasking, virtual memory, shared libraries, demand loading, proper memory management, TCP/IP networking, and other features consistent with Unix-type systems. Developed under the GNU General Public License, the source code for Linux is freely available to everyone.
Open Channel Foundation - A mechanism to efficiently publish software from universities while allowing for the commercialization of the most promising programs. This publishing entity is a non-profit organization devoted to publication and community building. It is separate from the commercialization process. The parent company, Open Channel Software, handles the commercialization process.
SourceForge - A large Open Source software development web site. SourceForge.net provides free hosting to Open Source software development projects with a centralized resource for managing projects, issues, communications, and code.
DACS Gold Practice Initiative
