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.

2025 State of Tech Talent Report

In the 2025 State of Tech Talent Report, LF Research and LF Education dug into trends and challenges in key technical areas this year, including AI. The report is based on findings from a survey distributed to hiring and training managers across the LF community

 

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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!

Interested in conducting research?

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

 

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LINUX FOUNDATION RESEARCH

Census II of Free and Open Source Software — Application Libraries

Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) has become a critical part of the modern economy. There are tens of millions of FOSS projects, many of which are built into software and products we use every day. However, it is difficult to fully understand the health, economic value, and security of FOSS because it is produced in a decentralized and distributed manner.

Produced in partnership with Harvard Laboratory for Innovation Science and the Open Source Security Foundation, Census II is the second investigation into the widespread use of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). The aggregated data includes over half a million observations of FOSS libraries used in production applications at thousands of companies, aiming to shed light on the most commonly used FOSS packages at the application library level.

In this report, we will explore these five high-level findings:

  1. The need for a standardized naming schema for software components.
  2. The complexities associated with package versions.
  3. Much of the most widely used FOSS is developed by only a handful of contributors.
  4. The increasing importance of individual developer account security.
  5. The persistence of legacy software in the open source space.

DOI: 10.70828/KHEH5209

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