Open Source Software is more than just software that has an Open Source Initiative (OSI) approved license. It’s a whole development style and culture. Karl Fogel is one of the developers of the Subversion project, and has been involved with a number of open source projects. He’s distilled the lessons he’s learned about the development style and culture in the book Producing Open Source Software. This is a really practical book, and deals with many of the day to day issues involved with working in open source projects. In particular, I found the section on Setting the Tone and the chapters on Communications and Managing Volunteers to be especially well done.

In true open source style, you can get the entire book online as well as in hard copy. I grabbed an online copy because I was in a hurry, and because I wanted to write all over it ( have this thing about writing in books). Karl has done a great job, and I’ll definitely be ordering a paper copy so that he’ll get some money for his work. And I’ll be recommending this book to every person who wants to know how to get involved in or run an open source project — it’ll let me save my voice and my fingers.

[I’ll put my usual book-review excepts on a post on my personal blog]