How Software is Built

Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Joe Brockmeier.

In this interview we talk with Joe. In specific, we talk about:

• Where openSUSE fits into the desktop Linux landscape
• Relationships between openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and upstream projects
• The effect of commercial agreements on open source projects
• The future roadmap for openSUSE

• Bringing together technical and non-technical users in open source projects
• Coordinating testing and bug fixes among distros and upstream projects
• Design coherence among distributed developers

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewees: Brian and Larry, and Michael.

In this interview we talk with Brian, Larry, and Michael. In specific, we talk about:

• OpenID’s offerings for decentralized online identity management
• Securing online identity: technology and beyond
• Aggregating identity information for multiple resources
• Spurring adoption by developers, service providers, and web sites
• Responding to objections about centralized identity management
• Closed source versus open source credibility
• The future of online identity management

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewees: Keith and David

In this interview we talk with Keith and David. In specific, we talk about:

• Background: a high-energy physics project at the South Pole
• Open source software for highly specialized uses
• Sharing code and architecture among research projects
• Systems reliability in a harsh environment
• Cyclical data analysis and system calibration
• Life at the South Pole

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Gabor Cselle

In this interview we talk with Gabor Cselle. In specific, we talk about:

• Deciding between open and closed development models
• Strategies around handling QA challenges effectively
• Maintaining high usability and user security
• Business models and corporate customers as opposed to individual users
• The relationship between open-source and commercial software
• The value of avoiding feature creep

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Helio Chissini de Castro

In this interview we talk with Helio Chissini de Castro. In specific, we talk about:

• The open source environment in Brazil
• The strengths of Mandriva Linux
• Organization and maintenance of Mandriva
• The future of open source software in Latin America

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Katie Parlante

In this interview we talk with Katie Parlante. In specific, we talk about:

• Open Source Applications Foundation and the evolution of Chandler
• Transition at an open source project when a founder leaves
• Chandler releases and feedback from users
• Maintaining inspiration and enthusiasm at OSAF
• On the necessity of bolstering the role of the designer

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Bjorn Freeman-Benson

In this interview we talk with Bjorn Freeman-Benson. In specific, we talk about:

• Breadth of projects at the Eclipse Foundation
• Coexistence between commercial and non-commercial interests
• The Eclipse plug-in architecture
• The developer audience and how it influences operations
• Schedule-driven release cycles as a control process
• Providing guidance to open source projects

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Ben Chelf

In this interview we talk with Ben Chelf from Coverity. In specific, we talk about:

• Scanning the worldwide open source code base for vulnerabilities
• The necessity of automating defect identification
• Building scalability into code analysis
• Overcoming the limitations of automatic scanning
• The hubris of believing too much in your code
• The difficulty of appearing objective
• The changing face of code security and analysis

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Hadar Pedhazur

In this interview we talk with Hadar Pedhazur from Opticality Ventures. In specific, we talk about:

• The investment viability of open source companies
• Innovation around open source business models
• Customer value derived from visible source
• The potential concerns around the open source investment bandwagon
• Mixed source business models
• The future of commercial open source

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Mark Kortekass

In this interview we talk with Mark Kortekaas from CBS. In specific, we talk about:

• Choosing and implementing technologies for the production environment
• Relationships with open source communities
• Tailoring the organization for maximum benefit from open source
• Building infrastructure for capacity and agility
• Future-looking, cloud-aware data centers

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Kevin Kluge

In this interview we talk with Kevin Kluge from Zimbra. In specific, we talk about:

• Zimbra’s history and finding a niche
• Profitability, ownership, and managing commercial products
• Interacting with the community
• Source code availability and its impact on the public
• Managing customer needs and usability

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Wade Olson

In this interview we talk with Wade Olson from the KDE project. In specific, we talk about:

• Background of KDE and comparison to GNOME
• Ensuring usability in an open source project
• Managing interoperability among components
• Impact of commercial acquisition of open source projects
• Cross-platform support in KDE
• Reaction to KDE 4 public release

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Leon Shklar

In this interview we talk with Leon Shklar - EVP of Media Technology for Reuters. In specific, we talk about:

• Moving Reuters.com to an open source stack
• Choosing and supporting open source software
• Making code changes to open source packages
• Licenses and governance in open source projects
• The perception and reality of open source companies

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Jim Gettys

In this interview we talk with Jim Gettys - VP of Software Engineering on the OLPC project. In specific, we talk about:

• OLPC base systems software
• OLPC user-facing software
• Platform innovation for the developing world
• Future directions for the OLPC platform
• Engaging kids with OLPC and open software

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Brad Wilson

In this interview we talk with Brad Wilson - Software Developer in Microsoft’s OfficeLabs team. In specific, we talk about:

• CodePlex, the Microsoft open source repository
• Community participation other than coding
• Open-source governance at Microsoft
• Open-source inroads and future at Microsoft

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Mitch Bradley

In this interview we talk with Mitch Bradley - who was responsible for developing the firmware for the OLPC project. In specific, we talk about:

• Mitch’s history with Sun, FirmWorks, and elsewhere
• Evolution of One Laptop Per Child
• Novel hardware in OLPC laptops
• Propagating technology from OLPC to the mainstream
• Open-source intersections with the commercial sector
• Open-source firmware and community
• History and future of firmware’s place on computers

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Ross Gardler

In this interview we talk with Ross Gardler - Service Manager for OSS Watch. OSS Watch is an organization that helps institutions in the UK make decisions in and around open source topics. In specific, we talk about:

• Different cultures in open source projects
• Notions of value and control in the software business
• Commercial involvement in open source and giving back to the community
• Comparing open source in the UK and the US

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Mike Shaver

In this interview with talk with Mike Shaver, Chief Evangelist for Mozilla. In specific, we talk about:

• Governance of the project and how people get involved
• Changing contributors who fill key roles
• Roles of independent contributors versus employees
• Ensuring high usability in an open-source project
• Protecting reliability in a world of many extensions
• Tools used by the Mozilla team
• Reflections on open and closed development models

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Justin Erenkrantz

In this second part of a two part interview with Justin Erenkrantz we talked to him about:

• How the Apache project ensures good collaboration.
• The Apache Foundation’s philosphy of having no single person as the leader.
• Apache’s security committee.
• The process of removing someone from a position of responsibility within the Apache Foundation.
• What would make someone want to be part of the Apache Foundation’s group of projects.

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Justin Erenkrantz

In this interview with Justin Erenkrantz we talked to him about:

• The Apache Foundation.
• Project Management Committees and the Apache Foundation.
• Some of the reasons Jason feels Apache has been so successful.
• What other open source projects might look to Apache for in terms of inspiration due to Apache’s longevity.
• The Apache Incubator and it’s role as part of the Apache Software Foundation.
• What is the on horizon for the Apache Web Server.

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