LINUX FOUNDATION RESEARCH

We’re investigating the impact of open source collaboration to solve the world’s most pressing challenges.

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About LF Research

LF Research publishes actionable and decision-useful insights into open source software, hardware, standards, and data based on empirical research methodologies. Through leveraging community networks, project databases, surveys, and qualitative findings, and through its commitment to best practices in primary research, Linux Foundation Research is the definitive home for data-driven insights into open source for the benefit of governments, enterprises, and society at large.

ROI for Open Source Software Contribution

What is the benefit of contributing to open source? In this study, LF Research has tackled this question through the analysis of results from a survey and quantitative model on contribution ROI. 

 

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Participate in Our Research

Join the LF Research Forum and participate in our surveys and interviews to give back to your community and earn events & training discounts!

 

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Interested in conducting research?

Review our prospectus for more information, and email us at research@linuxfoundation.org

 

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35 Years of Linux

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How did a hobby project evolve into the open source engine of global infrastructure? The milestone report by LF Research examines the kernel’s historic and organic evolution as well as its present-day impact.
 
Today, Linux powers 4 billion Android devices, 200M+ servers, and all 500 of the world's top supercomputers. The kernel’s adaptations and releases are driven by a resilient ecosystem of contributors and a long line of mentorship. The kernel has disrupted proprietary computing to underpin software-defined sectors ranging from financial trading and automotive stacks to space exploration and cloud-native workflows. Linux also revolutionized software engineering by pioneering review-driven collaboration and creating Git, the transparent distributed workflow used across modern development.
 
Read the report to explore 35 years of how the kernel has come to touch our day-to-day lives in technological, economic, and very human ways.
 
Authors
  • Anna Hermansen, The Linux Foundation
  • Hilary Carter, The Linux Foundation
  • Daniel German, University of Victoria
  • Foreword by Dirk Hohndel, Ericsson
DOI: 10.70828/NHEX5526

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