Black Duck Software is shipping an Eclipse plug-in aimed at integrating license compliance testing with software development practices. The ProtexIP Eclipse plug-in can increase open source code reuse, the company says, while decreasing licensing-related business risks. It should work with Eclipse-based IDEs from a variety of embedded Linux vendors.

Developer testing, and Eclipse

Legal due dilligence on embedded software is twice as likely to be performed by developers as by lawyers, according to LinuxDevices.com's most recent reader survey. Yet, such diligence may be handled haphazardly, or happen too late to prevent time consuming product delays. Current developer testing trends call for programmers to test and validate code as they write it, a practice that Black Duck appears to be extending to include legal due diligence.

The Eclipse platform for cross-vendor tools integration has been widely adopted in the embedded Linux tools market, where toolsuites based on it are available from TimeSys, Wind River, MontaVista, LynuxWorks, Sysgo, Enea, and possibly others. Additionally, Eclipse tools are offered by chip companies such as Intel, and software companies such as DeviceScape, to name only a few.

ProtexIP Eclipse Plug-in

Black Duck's Eclipse plug-in is distributed with its ProtexIP/developer product, which includes an on-site server-based repository of code fingerprints. The plug-in can be used to compare source code, compiled software, or code undergoing compilation against this library of known code fragments, the company says. License obligations and potential conflicts are summarized, for evaluation or remediation by assigned team members.

According to Black Duck, the plug-in connects developers more closely with lawyers and business decision-makers, and helps companies identify and control what components are used within their code base. It also enables them to establish and enforce company software re-use policies.

Palle Pedersen, CTO, said, “The move toward component-based development and the exploding use of open source software have made it increasingly difficult for developers to attest to the origins and obligations associated with their mixed-IP software projects. We help make the developer's life easier by managing this complexity to avoid costly IP-related product delays.”

Availability

The ProtexIP Eclipse plug-in is available now, as part of Black Duck's currently shipping ProtexIP/development product.

 
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