Fundamental to achieving these goals is the use of open source code. Readily available, cost-effective, and outside the lines of the normal software procurement process, open source code is at the nexus of all of today’s software development.

The widespread acceptance of open source continues to grow as an important alternative to commercial software. It is safe to say that open source is everywhere and is being used within your organisation whether or not you are aware of it. In fact, it makes up at least 30 per cent of the total lines of code in all software applications - both internally developed, and commercial software applications installed on your network.

Even if you implemented policies prohibiting its use in the development process, it is already there by virtue of the operating system you may be using or your word processing application. Often, open source makes up 50 per cent or more of an application’s total code base.

The prevalence of open source has thought-provoking implications for the electronics industry in that it introduces new risk from an intellectual property and security standpoint.

Commonly found throughout the electronics industry is embedded open source, which poses greater challenges by virtue of the licence that governs its use - the General Public Licence version 2.0. The GPLv2 is the legacy open source license that permeates a significant percentage of the embedded market.

The most recognisable embedded open source project is embedded Linux, which denotes the use of Linux OS in an embedded system such as you would find in an embedded computer system such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and media players.

It can also be found in machine control and industrial automation among other things. Embedded Linux is different from its cousin, Linux OS, in that it was made specifically for devices with smaller sized RAM and flash-memory based storage and is not appropriate for use with desktop computers. Embedded Linux exists on a large percentage of consumer devices and is covered by the GPLv2.

Links: http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/02/15/43150/does-open-source-software-raise-security-issues.htm

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