Opticks - Journey To Open-Source

Opticks A open source remote sensing application and development framework Kip Streithorst 12 August 2009

Opticks – Journey To Open-Source
Overview of Opticks
Why Did We Open-Source?
The Hurdles
Where are we today?
Q & A

Overview of Opticks
Perform Image and Video Analysis
Spectral, Synthetic Aperture Radar, Thermal
Similar to the following commercial tools:
SOCET GXP, IMAGINE, RemoteView, ENVI
Extendable with plug-ins:
Add import/export support for new file formats
Implement new data processing algorithms
Add new windows, mouse modes, toolbars, keyboard shortcuts
Most of the application is implemented as extensions using our public extension API

Why Did We Open-Source?
Project was started as closed source in Spring 2000 for the Air Force
Why Open-Source?
Kept running into barriers to entry for others to develop plug-ins
COTS (Commercial Off the Shelf) is preferred over GOTS (Government Off the Shelf)
Not invented here
What does open-source provide us?
Increase in services business opportunities
Access new customers and/or new markets
Involvement with and support for the DoD’s OTD (Open Technology Development) Roadmap
Actively engage colleges and universities in remote sensing processing and explotation

The Hurdles
Internal Confusion/Conflicts about going open-source
Contracted with CollabNet for their open-source expertise to help resolve some of the mis-information
What did our Air Force customer think?
Worked with our customer from the beginning to get buy-in
Do we have the right kind of software to open-source?
OTD Roadmap calls out “geospatial framework/infrastructure”
What about ITAR?
Reviewed internally, determined it was a Defense Article (Category XXI – Miscellaneous Articles), requested Public Release Authorization from the Office of Security Review
What license should we use?
LGPL v2.1
Allowed plug-ins to be closed-source
Keeps the application open-source (even if forked)
Well known license (one less hurdle when people are looking to adopt)

Where are we today?
Opticks was released under the LGPL v2.1 in December 2007
http://opticks.org/
All development is now free and open (no entry criteria)
Both source code and development collaboration
Remaining Issues
Decided internally to continue vetting all new features/enhancements against ITAR before starting code development (all code development is still occuring in the open)
Getting government people to collaborate with us in the open
In the process of standing up software.forge.mil mirror of Opticks to lessen the blow for new government entrants
Balancing open-source community needs against paying customer needs

Find Opticks At: http://opticks.org/ Kip Streithorst [email_address]

Opticks - Journey To Open-Source

by Kip Streithorst on Aug 07, 2009

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Opticks - Journey To Open-Source — Presentation Transcript