| 1. |
- Butler, Simon, et al.
(författare)
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An Exploration of Openness in Hardware and Software Through Implementation of a RISC-V Based Desktop Computer
- 2022
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Ingår i: OpenSym '22. - New York, NY, USA : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). - 9781450398459 - 9781450398466
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Open hardware and open source software platforms bring benefits to both implementers and users in the form of system adaptability and maintainability, and through the avoidance of lock-in, for example. Development of the \riscv\ Instruction Set Architecture and processors during the last ten years has made the implementation of a desktop computer using open hardware, including open processors, and open source software an approaching possibility. We use the SiFive Unmatched development board and Ubuntu Linux, and the recorded experiences of system builders using the Unmatched board to explore the extent to which it is possible to create an open desktop computer. The work identifies current limitations to implementing an open computer system, which lie mainly at the interface between the operating system and hardware components. Potential solutions to the challenges uncovered are proposed, including greater consideration of openness during the early stages of product design. A further contribution is made by an account of the synergies arising from open collaboration in a private-collective innovation process.
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| 2. |
- Gamalielsson, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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On engagement with ICT standards and their implementations in open source software projects : the case of WebRTC
- 2022
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Ingår i: Proceedings 26th EURAS Annual Standardisation Conference. - Aachen : Verlag Mainz. - 9783958864467 ; , s. 143-162
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Real-time communication (RTC) technologies for the web provide opportunities for individuals and organisations to work and collaborate remotely, and the need for such technologies has recently increased. Use of RTC technologies and tools for the web involves a number of challenges concerning data privacy and lock-in effects, such as dependency to specific suppliers and proprietary technologies. Use of open standards for RTC and open source software (OSS) implementing such standards can create conditions for avoiding issues related to data privacy and lock-in, and thereby provides opportunities for long-term sustainable solutions. The paper characterises how engagement with standardisation of WebRTC in the context of IETF and W3C is related to engagement with the WebRTC OSS project.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Lundell, Björn, et al.
(författare)
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Enabling OSS usage through procurement projects : How can lock-in effects be avoided?
- 2021
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Ingår i: Open Source Systems. - Cham : Springer. - 9783030752507 - 9783030752538 - 9783030752514 ; , s. 16-27
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Formulation of mandatory requirements in procurement projects has significant influence on opportunities for development and deployment of Open Source Software (OSS). The paper contributes insights on a widespread practice amongst public procurement projects which causes problematic lock-in effects and thereby inhibits opportunities for use of OSS solutions. Through a systematic investigation of 30 randomly selected procurement projects in the software domain the paper highlights illustrative examples of mandatory requirements which cause lock-in and presents five recommendations for how requirements instead should be formulated in order to avoid causing lock-in. Findings show significant lock-in caused by current procurement practices with a stark preference for proprietary software and SaaS solutions amongst procuring organisations.
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| 5. |
- Lundell, Björn, et al.
(författare)
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Half a step behind – bulk disclosure of confidential data in third-party GenAI solutions under the Swedish Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act
- 2024
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Ingår i: Digital Government: Research and Practice. - : ACM Digital Library. - 2691-199X .- 2639-0175.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Technological progress poses unique challenges for the public sector. New technology should be adopted, but it must always be done within the framework of good administration. It follows laws governing public administration must be continuously adapted. Sweden recently amended its secrecy legislation to facilitate the use of third-party cloud solutions by public authorities. When the amendment was enacted, most public sector organisations had already been using external cloud solutions for a long time. Today, there is as much pressure on authorities to implement AI technology as there ever was to move administration into the cloud. This paper uses traditional legal methodology to investigate if the Swedish secrecy legislation adequately enables the use of cloud-based GenAI solutions. Findings indicate that the recent amendment is likely insufficient and that there are significant practical hurdles for the application of the law, particularly with services from global cloud providers. The paper contributes to the understanding of Swedish law, and of the difficulties that can occur anywhere when policy makers and legislators do not move in tandem.
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| 6. |
- Butler, Simon, et al.
(författare)
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An Investigation of Work Practices Used by Companies Making Contributions to Established OSS Projects
- 2018
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Ingår i: ICSE-SEIP '18 Proceedings of the 40th International Conference on Software Engineering: Software Engineering in Practice. - New York : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). - 9781450356596 ; , s. 201-210
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Professionals contribute to open source software (OSS) projects aspart of their employment. Previous research has addressed motivationsof individuals and the ways they engage with OSS projects.However, there is a lack of research which examines and explainswork practices used by companies in their engagement with projects.Work practices used by companies to contribute to five establishedOSS projects are investigated through examination of the actions ofemployees in public communication channels and draw on our experienceswhen analysing engagement with the same projects. Wefind that companies utilise work practices for contributing whichare congruent with the circumstances and their capabilities thatsupport their short and long term needs. We find that companiescontribute to OSS projects in different ways, such as employing coreproject developers, making donations, and joining project steeringcommittees in order to advance strategic interests.
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| 7. |
- Butler, Simon, et al.
(författare)
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Considerations and challenges for the adoption of open source components in software-intensive businesses
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Systems and Software. - : Elsevier. - 0164-1212 .- 1873-1228. ; 186
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Component-Based Software Development is a conventional way of working for software-intensive businesses and OpenSource Software (OSS) components are frequently considered by businesses for adoption and inclusion in softwareproducts. Previous research has found a variety of practices used to support the adoption of OSS components, in-cluding formally specified processes and less formal, developer-led approaches, and that the practices used continue todevelop. Evolutionary pressures identified include the proliferation of available OSS components and increases in thepace of software development as businesses move towards continuous integration and delivery. We investigate workpractices used in six software-intensive businesses in the primary and secondary software sectors to understand currentapproaches to OSS component adoption and the challenges businesses face establishing effective work practices to eval-uate OSS components. We find businesses have established processes for evaluating OSS components and communitiesthat support more complex and nuanced considerations of the cost and risks of component adoption alongside matterssuch as licence compliance and functional requirements. We also found that the increasing pace and volume of softwaredevelopment within some businesses provides pressure to continue to evolve software evaluation processes.
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| 8. |
- Butler, Simon, et al.
(författare)
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Maintaining interoperability in open source software : A case study of the Apache PDFBox project
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Systems and Software. - : Elsevier. - 0164-1212 .- 1873-1228. ; 159
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Software interoperability is commonly achieved through the implementation of standards for communication protocols or data representation formats. Standards documents are often complex, difficult to interpret, and may contain errors and inconsistencies, which can lead to differing interpretations and implementations that inhibit interoperability. Through a case study of two years of activity in the Apache PDFBox project we examine day-to-day decisions made concerning implementation of the PDF specifications and standards in a community open source software (OSS) project. Thematic analysis is used to identify semantic themes describing the context of observed decisions concerning interoperability. Fundamental decision types are identified including emulation of the behaviour of dominant implementations and the extent to which to implement the PDF standards. Many factors influencing the decisions are related to the sustainability of the project itself, while other influences result from decisions made by external actors, including the developers of dependencies of PDFBox. This article contributes a fine grained perspective of decision-making about software interoperability by contributors to a community OSS project. The study identifies how decisions made support the continuing technical relevance of the software, and factors that motivate and constrain project activity.
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| 9. |
- Butler, Simon, et al.
(författare)
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On business adoption and use of reproducible builds for open and closed source software
- 2023
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Ingår i: Software quality journal. - : Springer Nature Switzerland AG. - 0963-9314 .- 1573-1367. ; 31:3, s. 687-719
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reproducible builds (R-Bs) are software engineering practices that reliably create bit-for-bit identical binary executable files from specified source code. R-Bs are applied in someopen source software (OSS) projects and distributions to allow verification that the distrib-uted binary has been built from the released source code. The use of R-Bs has been advo-cated in software maintenance and R-Bs are applied in the development of some OSS secu-rity applications. Nonetheless, industry application of R-Bs appears limited, and we seekto understand whether awareness is low or if significant technical and business reasonsprevent wider adoption. Through interviews with software practitioners and business man-agers, this study explores the utility of applying R-Bs in businesses in the primary and sec-ondary software sectors and the business and technical reasons supporting their adoption.We find businesses use R-Bs in the safety-critical and security domains, and R-Bs are valu-able for traceability and support collaborative software development. We also found thatR-Bs are valued as engineering processes and are seen as a badge of software quality, butwithout a tangible value proposition. There are good engineering reasons to use R-Bs inindustrial software development, and the principle of establishing correspondence betweensource code and binary offers opportunities for the development of further applications.
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| 10. |
- Butler, Simon, et al.
(författare)
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On Company Contributions to Community Open Source Software Projects
- 2021
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Ingår i: IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 0098-5589 .- 1939-3520. ; 47:7, s. 1381-1401
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The majority of contributions to community open source software (OSS) projects are made by practitioners acting on behalf of companies and other organisations. Previous research has addressed the motivations of both individuals and companies to engage with OSS projects. However, limited research has been undertaken that examines and explains the practical mechanisms or work practices used by companies and their developers to pursue their commercial and technical objectives when engaging with OSS projects. This research investigates the variety of work practices used in public communication channels by company contributors to engage with and contribute to eight community OSS projects. Through interviews with contributors to the eight projects we draw on their experiences and insights to explore the motivations to use particular methods of contribution. We find that companies utilise work practices for contributing to community projects which are congruent with the circumstances and their capabilities that support their short- and long-term needs. We also find that companies contribute to community OSS projects in ways that may not always be apparent from public sources, such as employing core project developers, making donations, and joining project steering committees in order to advance strategic interests. The factors influencing contributor work practices can be complex and are often dynamic arising from considerations such as company and project structure, as well as technical concerns and commercial strategies. The business context in which software created by the OSS project is deployed is also found to influence contributor work practices.
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