Study Estimates Development Cost of Red Hat Linux 7.1 at Over $1 Billion

The study conducted by David A. Wheeler reveals that the development cost for Red Hat Linux 7.1 is estimated at over $1 billion, which indicates a substantial investment in open source software development. This figure is a significant increase from the $600 million cost for the previous version, Red Hat Linux 6.2, highlighting the rapid growth and complexity of the software.

The report notes that Red Hat Linux 7.1 comprises more than 30 million lines of source code, which translates to about 8,000 person-years of development time. This increase in code size and the associated development effort illustrates the expanding ecosystem of GNU/Linux and the increasing demands placed on developers and organizations involved in its creation.

Wheeler attributes the cost escalation to the availability of a greater number of mature open source software programs, suggesting that as the open source community grows, so does the complexity and potential costs associated with software development. This reinforces the notion that investing in open source development can yield significant returns, but also requires careful consideration of resource allocation.

The analysis emphasizes the predominant use of the GNU GPL and LGPL licenses within this distribution, accounting for 63% of the code. This licensing model is crucial for maintaining the open source nature of the software while ensuring that contributions can continue to flow into the community.

In conclusion, this study serves as a critical reminder of the value and costs associated with developing open source software like GNU/Linux. As organizations consider their software strategies, understanding these metrics could influence their decisions on whether to adopt or contribute to open source projects.