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Producing Open Source Software
How to Run a Successful Free Software Project
Karl Fogel
Copyright © 2005, 2006, 2007 Karl Fogel, under a CreativeCommons Attribution-ShareAlike (3.0) license
Dedication
This book is dedicated to two dear friends without whom it would not have been possible: Karen Underhill and Jim Blandy.
Table of Contents
Preface
Why Write This Book?
Who Should Read This Book?
Sources
Acknowledgments
Disclaimer
1. Introduction
History
The Rise of Proprietary Software and Free Software
Conscious resistance
Accidental resistance
"Free" Versus "Open Source"
The Situation Today
2. Getting Started
Starting From What You Have
Choose a Good Name
Have a Clear Mission Statement
State That the Project is Free
Features and Requirements List
Development Status
Downloads
Version Control and Bug Tracker Access
Communications Channels
Developer Guidelines
Documentation
Availability of documentation
Developer documentation
Example Output and Screenshots
Canned Hosting
Choosing a License and Applying It
The "Do Anything" Licenses
The GPL
How to Apply a License to Your Software
Setting the Tone
Avoid Private Discussions
Nip Rudeness in the Bud
Practice Conspicuous Code Review
When Opening a Formerly Closed Project, be Sensitive to the Magnitude of the Change
Announcing
3. Technical Infrastructure