The Linux Foundation, the non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux, has announced the availability of The Linux Foundation FOSS Bar Code Tracker. Released as an open source project under the MIT license, the new software tool is intended to simplify the way open source components are tracked and reported by using an auto-generated, custom QR code for each product. The QR code contains important information on the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) stack contained in a product, such as component names, version numbers, license information and links to download the source code, among other details.
“Through our Open Compliance Program, we’ve learned that companies desperately need a free software tool for tracking and reporting open source software components,” explains Jim Zemlin, executive director at The Linux Foundation. “The new FOSS Bar Code Scanner will drastically reduce the resources needed to track and report information about the software included in every product and instill even more confidence in the companies using Linux and open source software to compete in today’s mobile and consumer electronics markets.” For more information or to download the tool and contribute to the project, go here.