The free LFC191: Compliance Basics for Developers has undergone an extensive update, and is now titled Open Source Licensing Basics for Software Developers. This course is designed to help software developers who use and/or develop open source code and those involved in producing software that will be distributed, as well as anyone interested in contributing to open source projects.
This course goes into detail on how to create file notices with copyright and license statements to minimize problems and ambiguity. A high level overview of the types of licenses is presented, as well as the mechanisms for contributing code externally. It’s a great starter for getting up to speed on what your rights and responsibilities are when utilizing or contributing to open source.
This is the biggest update to the course since its launch in 2016, adding some new topics and updating others to ensure students are getting the most recent information. Topics in this course include:
- Licenses
- Copyrights
- File Notices
- Contributing to Projects
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand why it is important to add copyright and license statements to code.
- Know how to do so efficiently.
- Understand the mechanisms used when contributing code to a project.
This short, free course can be done at each student’s own pace. It is taught by Kate Stewart, Senior Director of Strategic Programs, and Steve Winslow, Director of Strategic Programs at The Linux Foundation. Kate draws upon 15 years of experience managing teams contributing to open source projects, and is responsible for the Open Compliance program encompassing SPDX, FOSSology, OpenChain, and ACT. Steve is the co-lead for the SPDX legal team, runs The Linux Foundation’s license scanning and analysis support program, and works with projects and the foundation on other legal and licensing matters.
Open Source Licensing Basics for Software Developers is available now for immediate, free enrollment.