Modeling and simulating free/open source software processes
Walt Scacchi · 2004
Summary form only given. We present some emerging concepts pertaining to the processes that embody the development, deployment, and evolution of free/open source software (F/OSS) systems. We believe it is possible to find, observe, study, model, simulate, and analyze processes associated with F/OSS which are different in content and form compared to those found in popular software engineering textbooks. These differences are due in part to (a) the inventory and diversity of F/OSS tools used to support F/OSS development, as well as the artifacts produced; (b) the global, public availability of data and artifacts that characterize F/OSS processes and projects; and (c) the emergence of F/OSS multiproject portals that are being instrumented for process and product data collection and analysis. These differences set the stage for identifying emerging concepts in modeling and simulating F/OSS processes. These concepts include discovering and understanding: what affects the cost, quality, and productivity of F/OSS development; F/OSS evolution dynamics; why people participate, join, and contribute to F/OSS projects; continuous F/OSS processes; multiproject dependencies; how F/OSS systems and community coevolve; and how F/OSS culture, beliefs, norms, and values affects technical choices in F/OSS development processes. We identify how these concepts stimulate process modeling and simulation challenges and opportunities. Feedback, discussion, and suggested refinement pertaining to these concepts is the desired outcome.