RISC OS Open: Difference between revisions

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{{use British English|date=April 2022}}

{{use DMY dates|date=April 2022}}

{{short description|Software company}}

{{Infobox company

| name = RISC OS Open Ltd.

| logo = [[File:Riscos rool logo cog svgedit fitcanvastocontent.svg|150px]]

| intl logo_size = yes150px

| caption =

| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]

| foundation = [[Worthing]], UK ({{Start date and age|2006|06|20|df=yes}})

| founder = Ben Avison, Andrew Hodgkinson, Andrew Moyler, Richard Nicoll, Steve Revill

| location_city = [[WorthingCambridge]]

| location_country = UK

| area_served = Worldwide

| key_people = [[Steve Revill]], <small>[[Entrepreneur|Co-founder]] and [[Chief executive officer|Managing director]]</small> <br /> [[Ben Avison]], <small>[[Entrepreneur|Co-founder]]</small> <br /> [[Andrew Hodgkinson]], <small>[[Entrepreneur|Co-founder]]</small> <br />

| industry = [[Computer software]]

| products = [[RISC OS|RISC OS 5]]

| services = [[Information technology consulting|IT consulting]]

| homepage = {{URL|riscosopen.org}}

| intl = yes

}}

'''RISC OS Open Ltd.''' (also referred to as '''ROOL''')<ref name="drobe ansen 2007">{{cite news|last=Hansen|first=Martin|title=RISC OS Open: One year on|url=http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact1998.html|accessdate=13 August 2012|newspaper=[[Drobe]]|date=21 Jul 2007}}</ref><ref name=osnews>{{cite news|last=Holwerda|first=Thom|title=RISCOS Ltd Might Take Legal Action Against RISC OS Open Ltd|url=http://www.osnews.com/story/20632/RISCOS_Ltd_Might_Take_Legal_Action_Against_RISC_OS_Open_Ltd/|accessdate=13 August 2012|newspaper=[[OSNews]]|date=10 December 2008}}</ref> is a [[Private company limited by guarantee|limited company]] engaged in [[computer software]] and [[IT consulting]].<ref>

{{cite web

| url = httphttps://www.riscosopen.org/content/about

| title = About us: RISC OS Open Limited FAQ

| accessdate = 2011-02-22

| publisher = [[RISC OS Open]]

| quote = RISC OS Open Limited (ROOL) [...] can author software for an existing hardware design or develop a complete hardware and software solution.}}

</ref> It is managing the process of publishing the [[source code]] to [[RISC OS]].<ref>

{{cite web

| url = httphttps://www.riscosopen.org/content/

| title = Welcome

| accessdate = 20112020-0201-2203

| publisher = [[RISC OS Open]]

| quote = RISC OS Open (ROOL) is an organisation run on a largely voluntary basis. We are managing the process of publishing the source code to RISC OS [...]}}

</ref> Company founders include staff who formerly worked for [[Pace plc|Pace]], the company which acquired RISC OS after [[History of RISC OS#Demise of Acorn Computers Ltd|Acorn's demise]].<ref>

{{cite web

| url = http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact1664.html

Line 40 ⟶ 46:

</ref>

The source code publication iswas initially facilitated by a shared source initiative (SSI) between ROOL and [[Castle Technology]] (CTL).,<ref>

{{cite web

| url = http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact1786.html

Line 48 ⟶ 54:

| work = Drobe

| quote = [...] the shared source initiative - which is designed to get the source code to RISC OS 5 out into the open for free [...]}}

</ref> prior to a switch to the more widely recognised [[Apache Licence|Apache licence]] in October 2018.<ref>

</ref> ROOL hopes that by making the RISC OS source code available for free it will help stimulate development of both the RISC OS source code and the platform as a whole.<ref>

{{cite web

| url = https://www.riscosopen.org/news/articles/2018/10/22/risc-os-is-open-for-business

| title = RISC OS is open for business!

| accessdate = 20112020-0201-2603

| date = 2018-10-22

| publisher = RISC OS Open

| quote = RISC OS Open Ltd (ROOL) are hugely proud to [...] republish the source code to this popular niche operating system under the Apache 2.0 License, in a move aimed at removing existing barriers to entry for developers [...]}}

</ref>

</ref> ROOL hopes that by making the RISC OS source code available for free it will help stimulate development of both the RISC OS source code and the platform as a whole.<ref>

{{cite news

| first = John

| last = Cartmell

| title = Interview

| date = Issue 283, Summer 2007|issue=283

| publisher = [[Acorn User|Finnybank Ltd]]

| work = Qercus

| accessdate = 2011-02-26

| quote = We really want to stimulate development both in and around RISC OS}}

</ref><ref>

Line 63 ⟶ 77:

| last = Smith

| title = Interview

| date = Issue 9, November 2008|issue=9

| publisher = [http://www.riscosnow.co.uk/ RISC OS Now]

| work = RISC OS Now

| accessdate = 2011-03-02

| quote = The whole project is based on the fundamental premise that the software will die out if there are no developers.}}

</ref>

== Operations ==

[[File:ROOL RO5.15 on BeagleBoard.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Ben Avison showing a [[BeagleBoard]] in 2009]]

[[File:Steve Revill of RISC OS Open.jpg|thumb|Steve Revill in 2011]]

ROOL set initial goals to make the source code easily available (on the [[www|web]]), and also to establish a [[wiki]], [[internet forum|forum]] and [[bug tracker]].<ref>

{{cite news

Line 77 ⟶ 91:

| last = Cartmell

| title = News

| dateissue = Issue 278,|year = 2006

| publisher = [[Acorn User|Finnybank Ltd]]

| work = Qercus

| quote = According to Steve Revill at the South East Show, RISC OS Open Ltd. has been formed to achieve a number of goals: Provide an interface for people to get at the source code of RISC OS; Manage developer forums; Manage a faults database; Provide a wiki for people to contribute to}}

| accessdate = 2011-02-26

| quote = According to Steve Revill at the South East Show, RISC OS Open Ltd. has been formed to achieve a number of goals: Provide an interface for people to get at the source code of RISC OS; Manage developer forums; Manage a faults database; Provide a wiki for people to contribute to

}}

</ref> These have been available since December 2006.<ref>

{{cite web

| url = httphttps://www.riscosopen.org/news/articles/2006/12/19/official-new-site-announcement

| title = News: Official new site announcement

| accessdate = 2011-05-18

| publisher = [[RISC OS Open]]

| quote = RISC OS Open are pleased to announce that their new web site has now gone live.}}

live.}}

</ref>

Operations exist to facilitate tasks related to ROOL's goals. Additionally, staff undertake development work on the code themselves. AsSince aearly 2009, ownership, development fromand sales of the {{nowraplinks|[[Acorn C/C++]]}} tools were transferred to RISC OS Open.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.drobe.co.uk/article.php?id=2504 | title = News in brief | accessdate = 2011-06-16 | date = 2009-05-04 | publisher = [[Drobe]] | quote = RISC OS Open has taken over sales of the Acorn C/C++ development suite, known as the Norcroft compiler, which is used to build RISC OS. | archive-date = 2 February 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140202124725/http://www.drobe.co.uk/article.php?id=2504 | url-status = dead }}</ref> As an extension to the initial goals, in 2011 ROOL introduced a [[open source bounty|bounty]] scheme to encourage further development.<ref>

{{cite web

| url = httphttps://www.riscosopen.org/content/documents/bounties

| title = Bounties

| accessdate = 2011-05-16

| publisher = [[RISC OS Open]]

| quote = The RISC OS Open bounty scheme allows the community to sponsor development of features and fixes in RISC OS.}}

</ref>

Attendance at {{nowrap|RISC OS}} [[computer show]]s is often arranged, with other knowledgeable coders sometimes standing in when ROOL staff are unavailable.<ref name="iconbar retro reunited">{{cite web | url=http://www.iconbar.com/Retro_Reunited_and_Acorn_World_2009/news1228.html | title=Retro Reunited and Acorn World 2009 | work=[[The Icon Bar]] | date=2009-09-14 | accessdate=September 28, 2011 | author=Mellor, Phil | quote=[...] talk was by Robert Sprowson who was representing RISC OS Open Ltd.}}</ref> A [[Facebook page]] and [[Twitter]] feed was created in 2012 to communicate events via social media.<ref name="riscosopen facebook">{{cite web | url=https://www.riscosopen.org/news/articles/2012/03/04/risc-os-open-on-facebook | title=RISC OS Open on Facebook | publisher=RISC OS Open | date=March 5, 2012 | accessdate=March 6, 2012}}</ref><ref name="riscosopen twitter">{{cite web | url=https://www.riscosopen.org/news/articles/2013/03/04/keep-up-to-date | title=Keeping up to date | publisher=RISC OS Open | date=March 4, 2013 | accessdate=November 12, 2023}}</ref>

== See also ==

=== Publishing ===

*[[Norcroft C compiler]]

A number of book titles have been published starting in 2015 with the RISC OS Style Guide, a three book set in support of the Desktop Development Environment, BBC BASIC Reference Manual and the RISC OS 5 User Guide.

=== Forum ===

Online discussions take place on the forum. Developers can seek technical assistance with writing software, debugging, and [[porting]] the operating system to new hardware. End users can seek assistance with applications, [[Emulator|emulation]], and enquiries of a more general nature. A common area exists to make announcements that are broadly related to the theme of RISC OS, and discussion of future [[wish list]] features or applications.

== References ==

{{reflist}}

{{Acorn computers, clones and compatibles}}

{{RISC OS}}

[[Category:RISC OS]]

[[Category:Software companies of the United Kingdom]]

[[Category:Companies based in West Sussex]]

[[Category:Development software companies]]

[[Category:2006 establishments in England]]

[[Category:Software companies established in 2006]]

[[Category:British companies established in 2006]]