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The Linux Foundation offers a suite of open-source management classes
There are many open-source and Linux technology and programming classes. The Linux Foundation offers many such top-notch open-source and Linux classes. But classes on how to manage open-source developers and their projects. That's another matter entirely. They're rare. So, the Linux Foundation's new courses, Open Source Management and Strategy, on best practices on how to manage open-source projects and technical staff within your organization is quite welcome.
Previously, if you want to know how to run open-source well in your company, you had to work with OASIS Open or the TODO Group. Both are non-profit organizations supporting best open source and open standards practices. But, to work with either group, effectively, you already had to know a lot about open source.
There are also books, such as:
- Heather Meeker'sOpen (Source) for Business: A Practical Guide to Open Source Software Licensing - Amazon
- Jono Bacon's People Powered: How Communities Can Supercharge Your Business, Brand, and Teams - Amazon
- V.M. Brasseur's Forge Your Future with Open Source: Build Your Skills. Build Your Network. Build the Future of Technology - Amazon
But, as valuable as all these are, they're not a complete guide to building effective open-source practices within your company. That's where these courses come in.
This 7-module course series is designed to help executives, managers, software developers, and engineers understand the basic concepts for building effective open-source practices. It's also helpful to those in the C suite who want to set up effective open-source program management, including how to create an Open Source Program Office (OSPO).
The program builds on the accumulated wisdom of many previous training modules on open-source best practices while adding fresh and updated content to explain all of the critical elements of working effectively with open source in enterprises. The courses are designed to be self-paced, and reasonably high-level, but with enough detail to get new open-source practitioners up and running quickly.
The classes are designed to be modular, so you only need to take the ones that are most important to you. The classes include:
- LFC202: Open Source Introduction - covers the basic components of open source and open standards
- LFC203: Open Source Business Strategy - discusses various open-source business models and how to develop practical strategies and policies for each
- LFC204: Effective Open Source Program Management - explains how to build an effective OSPO and the different types of roles and responsibilities needed to run it successfully
- LFC205: Open Source Development Practices - talks about the role of continuous integration and testing in a healthy open source project
- LFC206: Open Source Compliance Programs - covers the importance of effective open source license compliance and how to build programs and processes to ensure safe and effective consumption of open source
- LFC207: Collaborating Effectively with Open Source Projects - discusses how to work effectively with upstream open source projects and how to get the maximum benefit from working with project communities
- LFC208: Creating Open Source Projects - explains the rationale and value for creating new open source projects as well as the required legal, business, and development processes needed to launch new projects
Guy Martin, OASIS Open's executive director, developed these courses. Martin knows his way around open source. He has a unique blend of over 25 years' experience both as a software engineer and open-source strategist. Martin has helped build open-source programs at Red Hat, Samsung, and Autodesk. He was also instrumental in founding the Academy Software Foundation, the Open Connectivity Foundation, and has contributed to TODO Group's best practices and learning guides.
If you don't think you need these courses, think again. As Chris Aniszczyk, co-founder of the TODO Group and VP of Developer Relations at The Linux Foundation, said:
"Open source is not only commonplace in enterprises today, but actually is impossible to avoid as much modern technology including the cloud and networking systems are based on it. This means organizations must prepare their teams to use it properly, ensuring compliance with licensing requirements, how to implement continuous delivery and integration, processes for working with and contributing to the open-source community, and related topics. This program provides a structured way to do that which benefits everyone from executive management to software developers."
Want to get started? The Open Source Management & Strategy program is available to begin immediately. The $499 enrollment fee provides unlimited access to all seven courses for one year, as well as a certificate upon completion. The program is also included in all corporate training subscriptions.