[sf-lug] The Ubuntu software repository contains over 121 million lines of code and is worth over 7 billion dollars

[Greg Rundlett]

On 10/6/07, Kristian Erik Hermansen <kristian.hermansen at gmail.com> wrote:
> Using the COCOMO model, they estimated the actual cost to produce the
> software in the Ubuntu repositories.  Very interesting.  I wonder if
> it is accurate, but I wouldn't be surprised if the final number was
> close...
> http://www.fsckin.com/2007/09/29/giving-away-software-for-free-costs-more-than-you-would-think/
>

I do believe the COCOMO model [1] and specifically the SLOCCount tool
from David Wheeler are accurate.  David was the one to estimate in
2001 that RedHat Linux v7.1 cost more than a Gigabuck. [2] [3]

I've used sloccount many times, and I was puzzled by the OP's method
(manually removing some files) because SLOCCount has reasonable
heuristics for deciding what is source and what is not.

Still, whether you manually remove some README files, or let the
program do the work for you, I believe it provides a good framework
around an open and accepted method for determining the cost of
software.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COCOMO
[2] http://www.dwheeler.com/sloc/
[3] http://www.dwheeler.com/sloc/redhat71-v1/redhat71sloc.html