More than a Gigabuck: Estimating GNU/Linux's Size
Summary
This article summarizes David A. Wheeler's More than a Gigabuck: Estimating GNU/Linux's Size (2001), which analyzes Red Hat Linux 7.1's SLOC counts, major components, licensing distribution dominated by GPL/LGPL, and uses the original COCOMO model to estimate development effort and cost. It highlights open source licensing dynamics and the feasibility of large-scale OSS projects, with implications for GPL compatibility and licensing strategy.