While not all component formats within the Nexus Repository Manager (NXRM) have been open sourced yet in v3.x, we have always intended to do this. The next step in this journey is with npm.
Why are we open sourcing npm?
Sonatype’s history has always been interconnected with the world of open source software development. Sonatype has contributed significantly to Apache Maven and provides the world’s most heavily trafficked repository of open source components (Central). Sonatype also offers the only open source, multi-format, repository manager – Nexus – which is now used by millions of developers. We believe that a community huddling around a shared challenge produces better ideas and higher quality products.
Several formats are already open sourced, such as Maven and raw, along with the community maintained formats like Apt, R, Conan, P2, and more. We love getting feedback from our community and working with them on their contributions. It helps make NXRM more valuable for everyone (i.e. awesome) and hopefully now our npm implementation can get that same treatment.
There are endless blog posts, articles and whitepapers that convey the advantages of open source development such as openness, lack of vendor lock-in, security etc. For me, open source is about what relationship a company wants to have with its community, and by making more formats open source we will continue to build on an already great relationship.
What is next?
As noted at the start, we plan to open source all of the format implementations in NXRM. You can let us know which format you want here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RFM9N7N.
Head on over to https://github.com/sonatype/nexus-public and make a clone!
