How to be a Good Open Source Citizen!!

by: Curt Gratz

Obligatory Who Am I

Co-owner of
Computer Know How

Member of TEAM ColdBox

Husband/Dad

What will we be covering?

• Why open source software isn't just free
• What is open source software then?
• Brief overview of some license options
• How you can help existing projects
• How you can release your own projects

Isn't open source software just "free"??

Not all free software is open source

What you download is what you get

Not all open source software is free

Pay to get the source

Shock alert!!!

All software costs somebody something

So who pays?

Community "pays"

So...community "owns"

How do they pay?

They pay...

• Time
• Sponsored Development
• Software Foundations

Foundations

Open CFML Foundation

So, then what is Open Source?

• You get access to the source code
• It has a license

That license allows for

• Free Redistribution
• Integrity of The Author's Source Code
• No Discrimination
• Technology-Neutral
• Distribution of License

You need a license, which one should you choose?

• GPL
• LGPL
• MIT
• Apache Software License
• One of the 1000 of others

Full Disclosure

GPL: General Public License

• Copy the software.
• Distribute.
• Charge a fee to distribute the software.
• Make modifications.

LGPL: LESSER General Public License

• Few less rights then GPL.
• More corporate friendly.
• Allows for linking from non-GPL or non-open source software

MIT License

• Shortest, broadest popular OS license.
• Copy or Modify
• Charge a fee to distribute the software.
• Must be accompanied by the license agreement.

ASL: Apache Software License

• Can be used for copyrights and patents.
• Can be used in "closed" source projects.
• Source to bugs and modifications DON'T have to be released.

WTFPL: Whatever the *** You Want Public License

• You just DO WHAT THE *** YOU WANT TO.
• I told you there where 1000s of others :)

Help in a positive way

Move from a consumer to a contributor

Don't be this guy!!

Sometimes it's better to be the troll than this guy!!

Find projects you use or want to use

• GitHub
• RIAForge
• ForgeBox

Join their mailing lists

Answer questions on the mailing list

Review documentation

and offer your ideas

Offer to write some documentation

Screencast a feature

File a bug report

Better yet, fix the bug and submit your fix

Review tickets

• Are they reproducible?
• Expanding on the details helps the team

Take a ticket...do the work

Communicate and collaborate as much as possible

OS project authors are approachable and open to your ideas, in fact they want them

What's in it for me?

• Good Feelings
• Connections
• Exposure
• Respect
• Resume Items
• Paid Support
• POSS

When should I release my project to open source?

Got a project, and wondering when to release it and how?

When it is prrrrrfect!!

Now!!

Or right after you see that a similar project doesn't exists

Code in public

• It gives a nice commit trail to follow
• You can get assistance
• Overcome your fear
• Makes you a better developer

Things your project needs

• A license
• A public bug tracker
• A public repository
• Documentation

Already talked about that

Some public bug trackers (Hosted)

• GitHub Issues
• Assembla
• Unfuddle
• Jira (have to ask for it)
• Others?

Some public bug trackers (Open Source)

• Bugzilla
• Mantis
• Trac
• Lighthouse Pro (by Ray Camden)
• Others?

Some public free repository hosting

• GitHub
• Assembla
• Unfuddle
• Bit Bucket
• Look familiar
• Others?

Documentation

• Readme
• Quickstart Guide
• Examples

Awesomeasize your project

Upgrade your Readme

• License your using
• Project Maturity level
• DI/Versions/Languages

Upgrade your Docs

• Add lots of examples
• Video Guides
• Keep them UP TO DATE
• Readability

Upgrade your Projects

• Backwards Compatibility
• Change Logs
• Tag your Releases
• Give a bleeding edge branch

More Awesome

• Lots of support options
• Training
• Podcasts/Screencasts
• Monthly meetings
• Anything else?

Credits

• Sean Corfield: Open Source Landscape
• Rick Lehrbaum: Open source software is NOT free!
• The Open Source Initiative: The Open Source Definition (Annotated)

Credits (more)

• Cameron Chapman: A Short Guide To Open-Source And Similar Licenses
• Michael Klishin: How to Make Your Open Source Project Really Awesome

Contact Info

• Email: gratzc@compknowhow.com
• Twitter: gratzc
• Blog: www.coldbox.org/blog
• Website: www.compknowhow.com
• League of Legends: gratzc
• Skype: gratzc