How to Opensource a Project

Summary:

• Open-sourcing a hardware project means doing 4 things:
  • Creating a public repository where you upload your designs and documentation
  • Allowing the use of your designs and documentation for any purpose, including selling the finished product
  • Declaring a license - which shows the terms under which your documentation must be shared
  • Developing a contributor community - making it easy for others to download, study, modify, and share improvements. Creating a public repository such as a wiki, website, or GitHub/Gitlab. Setting up a communication platform, such as public forums onDiscourse, an email list

The general guidelines is to use commmonly available toolchains and workflows where these are open source and easy to access for widespread collaboration. As opposed to proprietary toolchains, which others cannot easily access, and where file formats may not be universal. Since open source hardware digital design is done in CAD software, the best practice is to use the premium open source CAD design packages such as FreeCAD or Blender. KiCad can be used for electronics, and many others.

• For hardware - certify with OSHWA - https://certification.oshwa.org/basics.html
• For software - [1]