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Sara Cope edited this page Oct 9, 2019 · 3 revisions

All About Open Source

“Open Source” Defined

https://opensource.com/resources/what-open-source

If you are starting from scratch and need to get a good idea of how all this works, this is open source defined for non-coders, and covers the importance of open source software and open source projects. If you know nothing of open source, this is an excellent starting place for you.

Open Source Guides

https://opensource.guide

Where do you begin with an open source project? How do you make a current project open source and, more to the point, why would you even want to open source a project? These easy-to-follow guides cover all aspects of the open source community. From processes on how to contribute to open source projects, to starting a project, to encouraging and cultivating your own community, you can get insight on the open source movement and the people involved through these guides.

Guidelines for Contribution to Open Source Projects

https://github.com/github/opensource.guide/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md

What exactly do these projects need? What are these projects wanting in the ways of contribution? This guide serves as a good primer for anyone new to Code.gov and working with open source projects. Review the guidelines here to get into a good mindset before submitting pull requests for the projects indexed here.


Working with Code.gov

#CodeOn101: A Walkthrough of Code.gov

https://medium.com/codedotgov/codeon-101-a-walkthrough-of-code-gov-7b20b928ebbd

If you want a quick primer on where to go when visiting Code.gov, we feature on our blog this easy-to-follow tutorial on what to do once you arrive on our digital doorstep. From making pull requests to finding projects in need of attention, we give you a grand tour of our corner of the Internet.

A Guide for Code.gov

https://saracope.github.io/get-started-contributing-open-source/

From Code.gov Front-End Developer Sara Cope, this presentation provides a complete and comprehensive walk-through of open source etiquette, of working with Code.gov, and of submitting successful pull-requests. Along with the slides, Sara Cope’s notes are included in order to provide context.


All About Licenses

Open Source Licensing 101

https://opensource.com/article/17/9/open-source-licensing

What exactly is an open source license? This is free software, so why bother with a license, right? Not exactly. There are rules that need to be followed, and there are licenses that spell out the rules and policies that are needed to properly release projects as open source. These licenses are here to protect you and the project. Along with a breakdown of what an open source license is, this article also goes into identifying different kinds of licenses and even provides answers to common questions on open source licenses.

Open Source Licenses by Category

https://opensource.org/licenses/category

A complete list of open source licenses, organized by categories that include popular/widely used, international, and special purpose.

SPDX’s License List

https://spdx.org/license-list

The Software Package Data Exchange (SPDX) License List is a definitive list of commonly found licenses and exceptions used in free and open source and other collaborative software or documentation. This list is to enable easy and efficient identification of such licenses and exceptions in an SPDX document, in source files or elsewhere. The SPDX License List includes a standardized short identifier, full name, vetted license text which includes matching guidelines markup, and a canonical permanent URL for each license and exception.


For Government Agencies

Open Source Checklist

https://github.com/GSA/open-source-policy/blob/master/OpenSource_code/open_source_checklist.md

So you have a project. You want to make it open source. You’re ready to submit it to Code.gov for indexing on our site. Before you sign off on your project, though, you will want to run down our checklist here. We have set up this convenient, easy-to-follow list of things that we need to assure your project is efficiently and effectively indexed on our site.

Developing with a Security Mindset

Tips for keeping security in mind when developing with open source dependencies. https://medium.com/codedotgov/watching-your-back-end-and-your-front-end-developing-with-a-security-mindset-ed5d73615688

Security Checklist

https://github.com/GSA/open-source-policy/blob/master/OpenSource_code/checkmarx_poc.md

With security being a constant concern in any sort of online platform, Code.gov and GSA have put together a code development workflow that closed source code goes through in order to make it open source.

Code.json Validator

https://code.gov/#!/policy-guide/docs/compliance/inventory-code/tools/validate-schema

Before submitting your JSON file, you will want to review it to make sure the syntax is correct and everything is set up properly. Run your JSON file through our Validator. If your code is valid, you are good to go. If there is a problem, feel free to reach out to us at code@gsa.gov for assistance.


DISCLAIMER: The Tools & Resources above are not exhaustive and are intended purely as advice rather than guidance.