Automotive Grade Linux Launches New Expert Group Led by Toyota to Help Automakers Manage Open Source Activities

New Open Source Program Office Expert Group enables automakers and suppliers to share best practices, making it easier for engineers across the industry to contribute to open source software

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Automotive Grade Linux (AGL), a collaborative cross-industry effort developing an open source platform for Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs), has created a new Open Source Program Office (OSPO) Expert Group (EG). Led by Toyota, the OSPO EG will promote the establishment of OSPOs within the automotive industry and encourage the sharing of information and best practices between them.

Open source software has become more prevalent across the automotive industry as automakers invest more time and resources into software development. Automakers like Toyota and Subaru are using open source software for infotainment and instrument cluster applications. Other open source applications across the automotive industry include R&D, testing, vehicle-to-cloud and fleet management.

“Historically, there has been little code contributed back to the open source community. Often, this was because the internal procedures or IT infrastructure weren’t in place to support open source contributions,” said Dan Cauchy, Executive Director of Automotive Grade Linux. “The rise of SDVs has led to a growing trend of automakers not just using, but also contributing, to open source software. Many organizations are also establishing OSPOs to streamline and organize open source activities to better support business goals.”

Automakers including Toyota, Honda, and Volvo have already established Open Source Program Offices. The new AGL OSPO Expert Group provides a neutral space for them to share pain points and collaborate on solutions, exchange information, and develop best practices that can help other automakers build their own OSPOs.

“Toyota has been participating in AGL and the broader open source community for over a decade,” said Masato Endo, Group Manager of Open Source Program Group (TOYOTA OSPO ), Toyota Motor Corporation. “We established an OSPO earlier this year to promote the use of open source software internally and to help guide how and where we contribute. We are looking forward to working with other open source leaders to solve common problems, collaborate on best practices, and invigorate open source activities in the automotive industry.”

The AGL OSPO EG is led by Toyota with support from Panasonic and AISIN Corporation. The goals of the group include:

Encourage and help companies to launch their Open Source Program Office
Provide a place to share pain points and solutions to resolve them
Publish best practices for common pain points
Engage companies outside of AGL to participate
Encourage member companies to contribute code to the AGL platform (and related projects)
Encourage open discussion for:
- Challenging upstream-first development model in automotive environments
- Dealing with business environmental restrictions when using open source (like export control and anti-trust)

The AGL Open Source Program Office Expert Group meets biweekly on Tuesdays. Learn more about how to get involved here.

About Automotive Grade Linux (AGL)
Automotive Grade Linux is a collaborative open source project that is bringing together automakers, suppliers and technology companies to accelerate the development and adoption of a fully open software stack for the connected car. With Linux at its core, AGL is developing an open platform from the ground up that can serve as the de facto industry standard to enable rapid development of new features and technologies. Although initially focused on In-Vehicle-Infotainment (IVI), AGL is the only organization planning to address all software in the vehicle, including instrument cluster, heads up display, telematics, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving. The AGL platform is available to all, and anyone can participate in its development. Automotive Grade Linux is hosted at the Linux Foundation. Learn more at automotivelinux.org.

Media Inquiries
Emily Olin

Automotive Grade Linux, The Linux Foundation

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SOURCE Automotive Grade Linux