Evolution of Open Source Software: A Study on the Samba Project

Authors

  • ML. LEE University of Sydney, School of Information Technologies
  • J. DAVIS University of Sydney, School of Information Technologies

Keywords:

Open source, Software development, Software evolution

Abstract

Open Source Software (OSS) development model has attracted considerable attention in recent years, primarily because it offers a non-proprietary and socially beneficial model of software development backed by a dedicated community of developers and users who share and expand their knowledge and expertise. This research investigates the evolution of open source software using a case study of the Samba project. Through the application of both qualitative and quantitative techniques, Samba's software development and evolution over a seven-year period are tracked and assessed. This assessment and the findings of similar, previously reported studies lead us to propose a general framework for the evolvabiltity and the key drivers of open source software evolution. open-source communities for socially coordinated software development.

Downloads

How to Cite

LEE, M., & DAVIS, J. (2003). Evolution of Open Source Software: A Study on the Samba Project. Systèmes d’Information Et Management (French Journal of Management Information Systems), 8(1), 43–62. Retrieved from https://revuesim.org/index.php/sim/article/view/133

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2003)

Section

Empirical research

License

The author bears the responsibility for checking whether material submitted is subject to copyright or ownership rights (e.g. figures, tables, photographs, illustrations, trade literature and data). The author will need to obtain permission to reproduce any such items, and include these permissions with their final submission.

It is our policy to ask all contributors to transfer for free the copyright in their contribution to the journal owner. There are two broad reasons for this:

  • ownership of copyright by the journal owner facilitates international protection against infringement of copyright, libel or plagiarism;
  • it also ensures that requests by third parties to reprint or reproduce a contribution, or part of it, in either print or electronic form, are handled efficiently in accordance with our general policy which encourages dissemination of knowledge within the framework of copyright.

 

In conformity with the French law, the author keeps the 'moral rights' related to the article:

  • The 'authorship right': It is the author's right to have his name associated with each publication and exploitation of the article.
  • The 'integrity right': It can be claimed by the author if he finds that during an exploitation, his work has been distorted (cutting, reassembly...).