This book consists of nine chapters and four appendixes:
Chapter 1
A brief history of free software, and an overview of the open source world today.
Chapter 2
How to get an open source project off on the right foot, including gathering developers, choosing a license, and announcing the project.
Chapter 3
An in-depth look at the tools a project needs to function smoothly, including communications, version control, and bug tracking software.
Chapter 4
How to set up formal and informal political structures to enable project members to work together and achieve consensus on important issues.
Chapter 5
Why and how to have a commercial relationship with an open source project.
Chapter 6
A guide to productive conduct in project forums, covering both the social and technical aspects of communications.
Chapter 7
How to manage regular releases of open source software, without disrupting the development cycles of the volunteer participants.
Chapter 8
Understanding why volunteer developers do what they do, and treating them in such a way that they keep doing it.
Chapter 9
How to evaluate and choose free software licenses, including an in-depth examination of license compatibility issues.
Appendix A
A list of open source version control systems, for projects just starting out.
Appendix B
Likewise, a list of open source bug trackers.
Appendix C
An oft-cited screed by Poul-Henning Kamp about the dangers of group decision-making and open source discussion lists.
Appendix D
An example that shows how an open source project can use bug reporting instructions to gradually teach certain users about the development procedures the project follows.
