The Cost of Linux

Well, the numbers on the current cost of Linux on Wikipedia were a bit out of date, so I thought that I would create a post purely of calculations that my edit could link to so that people could check the calculations themselves. I realize that a blog is not a reliable source, however this is solely an archive of my calculations plugging current numbers into the calculations that are currently linked to on Wikipedia.

Original Calculations:

MM-nominal-semidetached = 3*(KSLOC)^1.12 =

  = 3* (4287.449)^1.12 = 35,090 MM

Effort-adjustment =  1.15 * 1.0 * 1.65 * 1.11 * 1.0 * 1.15 *

    1.0 * 0.86 * 1.0 * 0.86 * 1.0 * 0.95 * 0.91 * 1.0 * 1.0

    = 1.54869

MM-adjusted = 35,090 * 1.54869 = 54,343.6 Man-Months

            = 4,528.6 Man-years of effort to (re)develop

If average salary = $56,286/year, and overhead = 2.40, then:

Development cost = 56286*2.4*4528.6 = $611,757,037

Current:

MM-nominal-semidetached = 3*(KSLOC)^1.12 =

  = 3* (13996.612)^1.12 = 132 029 MM

Effort-adjustment =  1.15 * 1.0 * 1.65 * 1.11 * 1.0 * 1.15 *

    1.0 * 0.86 * 1.0 * 0.86 * 1.0 * 0.95 * 0.91 * 1.0 * 1.0

    = 1.54869

MM-adjusted = 132 029 * 1.54869 = 204 472 Man-Months

            = 17 039.3326675 Man-years of effort to (re)develop

Median Wage

If average salary = $69 620/year, and overhead = 2.40, then:

Development cost = 69 620*2.4*17 039.4 = $2 847 079 267.20

Mean Wage

If average salary = $73 470/year, and overhead = 2.40, then:

Development cost = 73 470*2.4*17 039.4 = $3 004 523 323.20

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=programmer accessed on March 7, 2011

http://sunset.usc.edu/research/COCOMOII/cocomo81_pgm/cocomo81.html accessed on March 7, 2011

http://www.dwheeler.com/essays/linux-kernel-cost.html accessed on March 7, 2011