- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Addison Wesley; 1 edition (19 Dec 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0201734966
- ISBN-13: 978-0201734966
- Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 18.4 x 1.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,041,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Review
Information Research %20Eric%20S.%20Raymond's%20book,%20The%20cathedral%20and%20the%20bazaar,%20and%20Raymond%20writes%20the%20Foreword%20to%20this%20book.%20One%20of%20the%20authors,%20Fitzgerald,%20
Raymond, in the Foreword, comments that this is the first attempt to pull together the various strands in the development of open source software that the pioneers of this approach have not had time, or perhaps the inclination, to put together themselves. This, indeed, appears to be the case. The authors have clear objectives: they note, in the introduction that they wished to produce a book that would be useful to both academic and professional readers:
On the academic side, we have endeavoured to provide... a thorough sythesis and analysis of the OSS research that has appeared to date... On the professional side, we wanted to disseminate the significant volume of rigorous academic reearch into OSS development practices back into the development community.The authors define Open Source Software by reference to the
(OSD),%20produced%20and%20maintained%20by%20the%20Open%20Source%20Initiative.%20That%20definition%20has%20nine%20elements%20to%20it,%20which%20describe%20the%20conditions%20a%20software%20licence%20must%20satisfy,%20if%20the%20software%20is%20to%20be%20considered%20'Open%20Source'.%20You%20could%20well%20be%20reading%20this%20review%20as%20a%20result%20of%20your%20server%20software%20being%20
The authors describe the process that gives the benefits, noting that the process is parallel, with many developers simultaneously involved in the process, rather than a single software team in a commercial sofware company, that there is genuine peer review of suggestions and code in the process of creation, that there is increased user involvement, and that the process uses a succession of rapid releases of new versions, ensuring that users always have the latest version available quickly. The also explore also the weaknesses and problems of OSS, and en route, discuss the organizations involved in the OSS movement and how the development process in managed. They also suggest that the key issues in OSS are not technological, but sociological, in that the process explores a new way of working that may well extend into other fields of endeavour.
This book is well written, clear in its exposition, well illustrated with quotations from people in the OSS 'movement' and from other industry leaders and will serve as a useful text on this mode of software development.
The first author, Feller, maintains a Web site on open source software, which provides resources and links to supplement this text.
Professor Tom Wilson
Editor-in-Chief
Product Description
Open Source Software Development offers the first serious (and academically rigorous) study of the OSS phenomenon. The authors examine several key aspects of OSS, for example:
Definitions of OSS and Free Software, including a comprehensive guide to both OSS and non-OSS software licences.
Profiles of key OSS products, projects, companies and organisations.
Analysis of the technological motivations for OSS development, with explicit reference to the possibility of OSS addressing the "software crisis."
Definitions of OSS and Free Software, including a comprehensive guide to both OSS and non-OSS software licences.
Profiles of key OSS products, projects, companies and organisations.
Analysis of the technological motivations for OSS development, with explicit reference to the possibility of OSS addressing the "software crisis."
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I knew very little about OS (Open Source) before buying this book. The authors examine Open Source development from a very neutral perspective. Since reading it I still haven't decided for or against OS but I'm aware of
its current strengths and weaknesses and there's dozens of questions on my mind.
its current strengths and weaknesses and there's dozens of questions on my mind.
The book emphases the differences between the open source code camps and their reasons, most notably the Free Software Federation and the Open Source Initiative. There are lots of great little anecdotes of heated rivalry. There appears to be a few personalities who're steering the future of OS. Once of which, Eric Raymond, one of those behind the Open Source Initiative, wrote the forward.
The book begins very academically (no bad thing), giving the Open Source Initiative's definition of OS and attempting to explain it , though I'm still very baffled by a lot of it, creating a framework for in which to analyse OS - what qualifies something as OS, what is the OS process, who are the stakeholders, and where and why does it take place. In answering these questions the book speeds up, almost to a very dramatic ending when the motivations of developers is discussed.
There is a great reference section pointing to lots of web pages, some of which transcribe the passionate and incendiary arguments going on in the open source community.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm currently doing a course on Open Source Systems and this was one of the recommended books. I can see why, well written, both for the technically inclined and those who merely like what technology can do. Interesting case studies, a logical layout, and some great pointers for where to find more information. I've read it cover to cover and it will be staying on my bookshelf for future use when the course is finished -and if they update it and bring out a new edition I will be buying that.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Balanced and business-focused
26 Mar 2002
Format:Paperback
This may be the perfect book about open source software because it places open source within the context of business value and does not promote it as the great panacea that characterize the message of far too many books on the subject.
What I like is that, after providing an overview of open source, its history and proponents, the authors discuss how to analyze open source software within two major frameworks: the Zachman framework that was developed in 1987 and is popular today as an enterprise-wide information systems paradigm, and a newer framework called CATWOE. I'm new to the latter, but it is solid and is independent of open source. CATWOE stands for Clients, Actors, Transformations, World View, Owners and Environment.
The remainder of the book discusses aspects of open source as they relate to the CATWOE framework, which ensures that fair and complete treatments of the business and technical issues are given. I would have liked a more in-depth discussion of the legal issues and business risks that are associated with the GPL; however, that information is in a state of flux and is probably best gotten from daily news sources.
If you want to understand open source software development, especially as it relates to business value, this book is the one I recommend. The authors also have an associated web site (the URL is provided in the book).
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Open source software as seen by an "independent" third party
5 Jan 2004
Format:Paperback
"Understanding Open Source Software Development" (UOSSD) is the perfect introduction to OSS for those outside the community. The book takes a fairly balanced look at the people and processes which define the open source movement. Although some aspects of the book have grown stale over the last three years, I still recommend UOSSD to those desiring a deeper look at the open source phenomenon.
One of the best aspects of UOSSD is its page count: at 180 pages of text, it's a fast read. It still packs quite a punch, drawing upon and summarizing academic and non-fiction literature on OSS. Prior to reading the book I was unaware of the idealogical battle between the Open Source Initiative and the Free Software Foundation. These and other historical observations were invaluable.
UOSSD is useful for those who want to leave the Microsoft-bashing aspects of the OSS bandwagon in search of a more meaningful role in the community. By explaining the OSS community's dynamics, readers learn that a good way to contribute is to submit patches (p. 104). Authors Feller and Fitzgerald explain that OSS has "the highest payoff for software which requires a high degree of reliability" (p. 135). This is the heart of the security debate engulfing Microsoft.
My only criticisms relate to the passage of time. The book's "acknowledgements" are dated Oct 2001. Unfortunately, a company analyzed in several locations, CoSource, appears to have had already gone out of business by then. Late last year Red Hat left its "pure play" OSS role for "RHEL." Concerns over a lack of internationalization, particularly for languages, have been completely reversed; OpenOffice supports more languages than Microsoft Office.
Despite these drawbacks, UOSSD is a great book for techies and managers alike. I'm adding it to my "Management and Policy" Listmania List today.
0 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Suspicious reader
8 May 2004
Format:Paperback
No points, no correctness, no validation, no value!
What the hell is this book for? Is it just a manifestation that free software is bad?
What the hell is this book for? Is it just a manifestation that free software is bad?
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