Open Source at openCollabNet

This document describes CollabNet's Open Source initiatives and why we're taking them. Having provided the platform that launched a thousand Open Source communities and founding one of the world's premiere Open Source development communities (tigris.org), and projects (Subversion) it seemed only natural to create more Open Source projects at openCollabNet (OCN), our community site.

The first step in this process was to launch our inaugural Open Source project on OCN, the CollabNet Desktop – Eclipse Edition (CDEE). This is the first of what will be many Open Source projects on OCN. As we go through this process, you might have some questions about our Open Source projects, so we've outlined a few below. If you have a question not answered below, contact me at johnmark@collab.net.

Why are you releasing Open Source code?

There are many reasons, but it comes down to a couple of simple things:

1. Open processes and transparency are core company values
2. Open Source is one method of establishing a vibrant community

I notice you're using the EPL. Why not use the GPL, Apache, or other Open Source license?

We chose the Eclipse Public License (EPL) for the CDEE because it's the license of choice for the Eclipse community, and it speaks to our desire to integrate with that community. We have nothing against other licenses, but in this case, the EPL was the lingua franca for community participation.

Will you release all of your code under an Open Source license?

No. While we will increase the amount of code we release as Open Source, it is unlikely that we will release all of our code as Open Source.

What other Open Source projects will you release?

We will release a Visual Studio integration project soon. We are currently evaluating more code to release as Open Source. Watch for any announcements at openCollabNet.

Can I start my own Open Source project here?

Yes, if it's something related to Subversion, SCM, ALM, CollabNet Enterprise, or SourceForge Enterprise. All proposed projects will undergo thorough scrutiny and not all will be accepted.

How do I participate?

Great! There are many ways to participate. The simplest way is to register an account on OCN and join the discussions on our forums and mailing lists. You can also file bugs or request features for your favorite project.

For developers, you can submit patches to the project maintainers and fix bugs. If you wish to contribute code to a CollabNet-sponsored project, such as CDEE, you must sign a Contributor Agreement. However, not all projects on OCN will be official CollabNet-sponsored projects. To contribute to those, you may or may not need not sign an agreement depending on the project.