What is the Open Source Lab?
The Oregon State University Open Source Lab is the home of growing, high-impact open source communities. Its world-class hosting services enable the Linux operating system, Apache web server, the Drupal content management system and over 50 other leading open source software projects to collaborate with contributors and distribute software to millions of users globally. Through custom software development, vendor partnerships and industry events like the Government Open Source Conference (GOSCON), the Lab's staff and students encourage open source adoption in education, government, health care and other sectors.
 What is Open Source Software?
"Open source" means that the building blocks for a program are freely available to use, modify, and improve. This provides for rapid software development by contributors worldwide, and the resulting program is available for anyone to use, anywhere, free of charge.
For more information on open source software and the Open Source Lab, click here.
 Open Source is all about contributions.
Countless numbers of developers are all giving of their time and talents to code, document, test, design, and deliver software so that the end user may benefit from it. The Open Source Lab is here to contribute resources to the community, allowing developers to focus on what they do best rather than having to spend time worrying about system resources and hosting. To continue operating, we need your contributions as well.

Latest OSUOSL News

Maintain screenshotThe Open Source Lab has just released the newest stable version of Maintain 3.0.0. Maintain is a powerful, web-based, multi-user network management application primarily for DHCP and DNS configuration and deployment. Maintain 3 uses a MySQL database backend and an entirely PHP codebase.

osel_logo Oregon State University has created an Open Source Education Lab to help get students involved in free and open source software. The lab will provide a place for students to learn about open source, how they can benefit from it and contribute back to it. Initially the lab will be staffed by 2 former OSL employees, Brandon Philips and Alex Polvi. You can find them during the school year at Dearborne 401 (the site of the Linux Users Group "Penguin Nest"). The OSL will be working with the OSEL to help these students have the resources they need to spread the word, as well as help them make connections within the open source development community. To find out more about the OSEL, read their announcement pdf here or visit their new OSEL web site (appropriately, a wiki).

GOSCON screenshotOSU's Open Source Lab is pleased to present the second annual Government Open Source Conference in Portland, Oregon on October 12-13, 2006. GOSCON will feature industry leaders - public and private –gathering to inform and discuss the current use and adoption of Open Source Software. The one and one-half day non-profit conference was developed and is produced as part of OSL's Public Sector communities program (that's all levels of government, as well as public education). Adoption of Open Source Software and its development methodologies presents unique opportunities and challenges in that sector and it is OSU's aim to provide quality information for informed decision-making as well as supporting community development. The conference is designed for IT management, is filled with practical information and strategies for anyone considering how Open Source Software will fit into their technology strategy. GOSCON provides senior public sector decision-makers outstanding access to industry leaders as well as agency peers whose programs, operations and budgets are impacted by significant shifts in the industry,

Please share the news with government IT leaders in your area.