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.

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| 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 = [[Cambridge]]

| location_country = UK

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'''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

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</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 [...]}}

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</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

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| 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><ref>

{{cite web

| url = httphttps://www.linuxlinksriscosopen.com/portalorg/news/article.php?story=20061003133508896articles/2018/10/22/risc-os-is-open-for-business

| title = Castle and RISC OS Openis Announce a Shared Source Initiativeopen for RISC OSbusiness!

| accessdate = 20112020-0701-2703

| date = 20062018-10-0322

| publisher = RISC OS Open

| work = LinuxLinks.com

| 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>

</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

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

</ref>

A development version of {{nowrap|RISC OS 5}} has been available for the [[BeagleBoard]] and related hardware since early 2009.<ref name="theinquirer snaps">{{cite web | url=http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1051924/snaps-leak-risc-os5-beagleboard | title=Snaps leak of RISC OS5 on Beagleboard | work=[[The Inquirer]] | date=2009-04-27 | accessdate=2011-06-28 | author=Farrell, Nick | quote=A snap of an RISC OS 5, running on a Beagleboard device powered by a 600MHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor with a built-in graphics chip, has tipped up on the world wide wibble. The port developed by Jeffrey Lee is a breakthrough for the shared-source project because it has ported the OS without an army of engineers.}}</ref>

== Operations ==

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</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

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</ref>

Operations exist to facilitate tasks related to ROOL's goals. Additionally, staff undertake development work on the code themselves. Since early 2009, ownership, development and 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 aan developmentextension fromto 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

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</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>

=== ForumPublishing ===

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 ===

Discussions of a technical and more general nature take place on the forum. A thread entitled "Let's get started with a Pandora port" witnessed discussion of [[porting]] to the [[Cortex-A8]] used in the [[Pandora (console)|Pandora]] handheld game console.<ref name="arcsite santillan 2009">{{cite web|last=Santillán|first=Carlos Michael|title=Neue RISC OS Hardware|url=http://www.arcsite.de/news/index.php?p=300|publisher=ArcSite|accessdate=28 June 2012|date=4 October 2009}}</ref>{{Relevance inline|date=July 2018|discuss=Pandora thread|reason=Out of all the threads and topics on fora, why is THAT one worth mentioning HERE and others aren't? What makes it so super special?}} The thread was started in September 2008.<ref name="riscosopen chamberlain 2008">{{cite web|last=Chamberlain|first=Andrew|title=Let's get started with a Pandora port|url=http://www.riscosopen.org/forum/forums/5/topics/166#posts-869|work=ROOL forum|publisher=RISC OS Open|accessdate=28 June 2012|date=30 September 2008}}</ref>{{Relevance inline|date=July 2018|discuss=September 2008|reason=What is significant about September 2008? Embellish this in the article, if there is anything, or remove this pointless statement if not.}}

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.

{{Clear}}

== References ==

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{{RISC OS}}

[[Category:AcornRISC ComputersOS]]<!-- may need focusing -->

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

[[Category:Companies based in West Sussex]]

[[Category:Companies established in 2006]]

[[Category:Development software companies]]

[[Category:2006 establishments in England]]

[[Category:Software companies established in 2006]]

[[Category:CompaniesBritish companies established in 2006]]