Producing Open Source Software

How to Run a Successful Free Software Project

Note: Original Author - Karl Fogel
Posted on behalf of original author after taking his written permission.

Free software projects have evolved a distinct culture, an ethos
in which the liberty to make the software do anything one wants is a central tenet, and yet the result of
this liberty is not a scattering of individuals each going their own separate way with the code, but enthusiastic
collaboration. Indeed, competence at cooperation itself is one of the most highly valued skills in
free software. To manage these projects is to engage in a kind of hypertrophied cooperation, where one's
ability not only to work with others but to come up with new ways of working together can result in tangible
benefits to the software. This book attempts to describe the techniques by which this may be done.
It is by no means complete, but it is at least a beginning.

This book is meant for software developers and managers who are considering starting an open source
project, or who have started one and are wondering what to do now. It should also be helpful for people
who just want to participate in an open source project but have never done so before.

software open source development project management