Linux Foundation Workgroup Publications

Yocto Project - Big in Embedded Linux   Yocto Project - Big in Embedded Linux
Rudolf Streif, The Linux Foundation
The Yocto Project is a collaboration project providing a coherent toolset to help developers create custom Linux-based systems for embedded products. Through an automated workflow controlled by templates and metadata it is able to create a system from source to image. Preconfigured profiles and targets for various applications and processor architectures jump-start the process for embedded engineers. Hosted by the Linux Foundation as a workgroup it is governed by open-source best practices.
April 2012
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FOSSology Project Update and Discussion   FOSSology Project: Update and Discussion
Author:Bob Gobeille, Hewlett-Packard
The FOSSology project is an open source compliance toolset that includes license and copyright scanning. Every file submitted to the system is saved in a file repository, scanned for licenses, copyrights and other data, with the results saved in a database. The database and file repository build a storehouse of information for future scans and data mining. Results are viewable with a web browser. This white paper reviews updates to FOSSology culminating in the current Version 1.4.1 of the toolset. Additions over the last year include file tagging, multiple file uploads from an ftp site, improved contributor scans (copyrights, emails, URLs), and a file comparison tool. Version 1.4.1 includes a simplified user interface, copyright report improvements, and much more.
August 2011
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Introduction to Open Build Service   Building MeeGo with OBS
Author: Rudolf Streif, The Linux Foundation
Building a Linux distribution from scratch can be a daunting task. To facilitate the process the MeeGo project leverages the strengths of the Open Build Service (OBS) for distribution and application development. In this whitepaper, we will provide a brief introduction to the MeeGo build infrastructure and how it is utilized to support the MeeGo development process. Then we demonstrate the use of the OBS WebUI and the command-line client osc with step-by-step instructions.
June 2011
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Linux Standard Base: State of Affairs   Linux Standard Base: State of Affairs
Authors: Jeff Licquia, The Linux Foundation; Stew Benedict, The Linux Foundation; Vladimir Rubanov, LinuxTesting.org and Alexey Khoroshilov, LinuxTesting.org
The Linux Standard Base (LSB) is a working group at the Linux Foundation that was created to lower the overall costs of supporting the Linux platform. By reducing the differences between individual Linux distributions from the application developer’s point of view, the LSB greatly reduces the costs involved with porting applications to different distributions, as well as lowering the cost and effort involved in after-market support of those applications. This article provides an overview of the LSB, the state of LSB specifications, tools, the compliance process, and lessons learned.
June 2011
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Overview of the MeeGo Compliance Program   Overview of the MeeGo Compliance Program
Authors: Ibrahim Haddad (Ph.D), The Linux Foundation; Brian Warner, The Linux Foundation; Mats Wichmann, Intel Corporation
While MeeGo is an open source project, all products that will include MeeGo branding must successfully demonstrate compliance with the MeeGo specification. This whitepaper provides an overview of the compliance process for products that ship with MeeGo.
June 2011
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An Introduction Into Open Build Service (OBS)   An Introduction Into Open Build Service (OBS)
Author: Rudolf Streif, The Linux Foundation
In this whitepaper, we will provide a definition of a build system, an overview over common requirements a build system has to fulfill and a walk through the typical build and packaging process for Linux distributions and their software packages. We will then introduce the Open Build Service (OBS) and its architecture.
June 2011
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Introduction   Introduction to the MeeGo Project
Author: Ibrahim Haddad (Ph.D.), The Linux Foundation
This article provides an introduction to the MeeGo project, a brief overview of the MeeGo architecture, the benefits the MeeGo platform offers to the various players in the ecosystem, and discusses the role of the Linux Foundation as a host of the project.
June 2010
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<br /> The FOSSology Project   The FOSSology Project
Author: Bob Gobeille, Hewlett-Packard
FOSSology (http://fossology.org) is an open source compliance toolset that provides license and copyright discovery. Every file submitted to the FOSSology system is saved in a file repository, scanned, and results are stored in a database. A web user interface displays results while the database and file repository remain for future scans and data mining.
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A Common Software Package Data Exchange™ Format   A Common Software Package Data Exchange™ (SPDX) Format
Authors: Phil Odence, Black Duck Software and Kate Stewart, Canonical
Companies at all points in the supply chain are becoming conscious of the need to treat open source just like any other third party code. They need to know and document the components in the products and software they are consuming and distributing for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is to make sure they understand their legal obligations. Thus the need for a common approach to sharing information about software packages and their related content has never been greater. Breaking down information silos is still a work in progress. Fortunately a new working group is tackling one of the toughest obstacles to sharing information about software packages— collaborating on discovering and sharing information about software packages and their related content, including licenses
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Reducing Complexity Thumbnail   Reducing Complexity for ISVs Targeting Linux
Author: Linux Standard Base
Linux and its variances between distributions present independent software vendors (ISVs) and individual developers with a unique set of challenges: different distributions of Linux make use of different versions of libraries, store important files in different locations, and so on. But there is a way to reduce this complexity.
October 2008
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Driver Model Publication Thumbnail   The Linux Driver Model: A Better Way to Support Devices
Author: Dan Kohn
While Linux will not provide a stable source or binary interface for driver developers, independend hardware vendors should familiarize themselves with a number of useful projects, many sponsored by the Linux Foundation, that ease driver development, including the Hardware NDA program, the Linux Drivers Project, and the Driver Backport Workgroup.
June 2008