RISC OS Open

RISC OS Open Ltd.
Company typePrivate
IndustryComputer software
FoundedWorthing, UK (20 June 2006; 18 years ago (2006-06-20))
FounderBen Avison, Andrew Hodgkinson, Andrew Moyler, Richard Nicoll, Steve Revill
Headquarters
Cambridge
,
UK
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Steve Revill, Co-founder and Managing director
Ben Avison, Co-founder
Andrew Hodgkinson, Co-founder
ProductsRISC OS 5
ServicesIT consulting
Websiteriscosopen.org

RISC OS Open Ltd. (also referred to as ROOL)[1][2] is a limited company engaged in computer software and IT consulting.[3] It is managing the process of publishing the source code to RISC OS.[4] Company founders include staff who formerly worked for Pace, the company which acquired RISC OS after Acorn's demise.[5]

The source code publication was initially facilitated by a shared source initiative (SSI) between ROOL and Castle Technology (CTL),[6] prior to a switch to the more widely recognised Apache licence in October 2018.[7] 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.[8][9]

  1. ^ Hansen, Martin (21 July 2007). "RISC OS Open: One year on". Drobe. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  2. ^ Holwerda, Thom (10 December 2008). "RISCOS Ltd Might Take Legal Action Against RISC OS Open Ltd". OSNews. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  3. ^ "About us: RISC OS Open Limited FAQ". RISC OS Open. Retrieved 22 February 2011. RISC OS Open Limited (ROOL) [...] can author software for an existing hardware design or develop a complete hardware and software solution.
  4. ^ "Welcome". RISC OS Open. Retrieved 3 January 2020. 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 [...]
  5. ^ "Ex-Pace staff back RISC OS Open Ltd". Drobe. 9 July 2006. Retrieved 24 February 2011. As a divisional director, Richard Nicoll, of Ely, Cambridgeshire, oversaw the 'information appliance division' in Cambridge at Pace. [...] RISC OS Open director and company secretary Steve Revill owns a 20% stake in RISC OS Open, as do each of fellow ex-Pace and ex-Tematic engineers Ben Avison and Andrew Hodgkinson [...]
  6. ^ "Castle and ROS Open reveal plans for 2007". Drobe. 20 January 2007. Retrieved 22 February 2011. [...] the shared source initiative - which is designed to get the source code to RISC OS 5 out into the open for free [...]
  7. ^ "RISC OS is open for business!". RISC OS Open. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2020. 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 [...]
  8. ^ Cartmell, John (Summer 2007). "Interview". Qercus. No. 283. Finnybank Ltd. We really want to stimulate development both in and around RISC OS
  9. ^ Smith, Louie (November 2008). "Interview". RISC OS Now. No. 9. [RISC OS Now]. The whole project is based on the fundamental premise that the software will die out if there are no developers.