The Linux Foundation has published the Census III report, a comprehensive study examining trends, challenges, and vulnerabilities in free and open source software (FOSS) application libraries. Developed in collaboration with Harvard’s Laboratory for Innovation Science and leading Software Composition Analysis (SCA) firms, the report leverages over 12 million data points from production environments across 10,000+ companies.

Key Insights from Census III

The Census III report highlights several important trends in FOSS adoption and usage:

1. Cloud-Specific Packages on the Rise
   The demand for cloud-focused libraries continues to grow, reflecting the increasing reliance on cloud computing across industries.

2. Migration to Python 3
   The transition from the deprecated Python 2 to Python 3 remains ongoing, showcasing developers’ efforts to modernize their codebases.

3. Expanded Ecosystem Adoption
   Maven packages for Java remain widely used, while NuGet (for .NET) and Python repositories have seen significant growth. Meanwhile, Rust packages are emerging as a key technology for modern software development.

4. Legacy Code and Sustainability Challenges
   The continued use of outdated software adds complexity to long-term FOSS sustainability and security efforts.

5. Contributor and Security Pressures
   Critical FOSS libraries are often maintained by a small group of contributors, emphasizing the need for greater resources and better security practices, including safeguarding individual developer accounts.

6. Standardisation Gaps
   The lack of consistent naming conventions for software components complicates dependency tracking, creating risks in the supply chain.

Securing the Open Source Ecosystem

As FOSS becomes the backbone of technological innovation, its vulnerabilities have also become targets for malicious actors. David A. Wheeler of OpenSSF stressed the importance of prioritizing investments to mitigate both accidental and malicious vulnerabilities in widely used OSS components.

Tim Mackey of Black Duck underscored the risks associated with a lack of transparency in FOSS contributions, warning that reliance on anonymous contributors or under-resourced teams can introduce unforeseen business risks.

Building Trust and Collaboration

Industry leaders emphasized the need for greater investment in FOSS security. Kevin Wang, CEO of FOSSA, called for open communication and collaboration between governments, industries, and researchers to enhance the software supply chain. Similarly, Brian Fox, Co-Founder of Sonatype, highlighted the importance of using data insights to empower organizations in securing their OSS workflows.

Hilary Carter of the Linux Foundation reiterated that understanding the health of OSS is vital for ensuring its sustainability. Census III complements ongoing Linux Foundation projects by identifying and supporting widely used components within the open source ecosystem.

A Foundation for a Stronger OSS Future

Census III builds upon the findings of earlier reports, offering a broader analysis of OSS trends. While Census I focused on Debian packages and Census II examined language-level OSS packages, this latest report uses anonymized data from SCA companies to provide actionable insights for stakeholders.

As industries continue to integrate OSS into critical workflows, the need for proactive investment and collaboration becomes clearer. Census III lays the groundwork for addressing these challenges and fostering a resilient open source software ecosystem.

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