One benefit of using open-source tools is that they usually can be modified or extended by their users. If the testing
organization has the core competencies, the tool can be modified to work with other tools or changed to fit the test
team’s needs. Multiple tools can be combined to solve problems that vendor tools cannot address. Of course, the more
tools used and the more modifications made, the more complexity and overhead added. A Test Manager must ensure that
the team does not start using open-source tools just for the sake of using them; as with other tools, the effort must
always be targeted at deriving a positive ROI.
A Test Manager must understand the licensing scheme of the selected tool. Many open-source tools come with a variation
of the GNU General Public License which specifies that the distribution of the software must always be under the same
terms as it was received. Should the test team make changes in the tool to better support their testing, these changes
may need to be made available to all external users of the tool under the tool license. A Test Manager should check
into the legal ramifications of redistributing the software for their organization.
Organizations which develop safety-critical or mission-critical software, or which are subject to regulatory compliance,
may have issues with using open-source tools. While many open-source tools are of very high quality, the accuracy of
any given open-source tool has likely not been certified. Vendor tools are often certified as to their accuracy and
fitness for a particular task (e.g., DO-178B). While the open-source tool may be just as good, the certification may
be the responsibility of the group using it, creating extra overhead.
6.2.2 Custom Tools
The testing organization may find that they have a specific need for which no vendor or open-source tool is available.
Reasons may be a proprietary hardware platform, a customized environment or a process that has been modified in an
unusual way. In such cases, if the core competence exists on the team, the Test Manager may wish to consider developing
a custom tool.
