RISC OS Open

{{use British English|date=April 2022}}

{{use DMY dates|date=April 2022}}

{{short description|Software company}}

{{Infobox company

| name = RISC OS Open Ltd.

| logo = Riscos rool logo cog svgedit fitcanvastocontent.svg

| logo_size = 150px

| caption =

| type = Private

| foundation = Worthing, UK ({{Start date and age|2006|06|20|df=yes}})

| founder = Ben Avison, Andrew Hodgkinson, Andrew Moyler, Richard Nicoll, Steve Revill

| location_city = Cambridge

| location_country = UK

| area_served = Worldwide

| key_people = Steve Revill, Co-founder and Managing director
Ben Avison, Co-founder
Andrew Hodgkinson, Co-founder

| industry = Computer software

| products = RISC OS 5

| services = IT consulting

| homepage = {{URL|riscosopen.org}}

}}

RISC OS Open Ltd. (also referred to as ROOL){{cite news|last=Hansen|first=Martin|title=RISC OS Open: One year on|url=http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact1998.html|accessdate=13 August 2012|newspaper=Drobe|date=21 Jul 2007}}{{cite news|last=Holwerda|first=Thom|title=RISCOS Ltd Might Take Legal Action Against RISC OS Open Ltd|url=http://www.osnews.com/story/20632/RISCOS_Ltd_Might_Take_Legal_Action_Against_RISC_OS_Open_Ltd/|accessdate=13 August 2012|newspaper=OSNews|date=10 December 2008}} is a limited company engaged in computer software and IT consulting.

{{cite web

| url = https://www.riscosopen.org/content/about

| title = About us: RISC OS Open Limited FAQ

| accessdate = 2011-02-22

| publisher = RISC OS Open

| quote = RISC OS Open Limited (ROOL) [...] can author software for an existing hardware design or develop a complete hardware and software solution.}}

It is managing the process of publishing the source code to RISC OS.

{{cite web

| url = https://www.riscosopen.org/content/

| title = Welcome

| accessdate = 2020-01-03

| publisher = RISC OS Open

| quote = RISC OS Open (ROOL) is an organisation run on a largely voluntary basis. We are managing the process of publishing the source code to RISC OS [...]}}

Company founders include staff who formerly worked for Pace, the company which acquired RISC OS after Acorn's demise.

{{cite web

| url = http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact1664.html

| title = Ex-Pace staff back RISC OS Open Ltd

| accessdate = 2011-02-24

| date = 2006-07-09

| work = Drobe

| quote = As a divisional director, Richard Nicoll, of Ely, Cambridgeshire, oversaw the 'information appliance division' in Cambridge at Pace. [...] RISC OS Open director and company secretary Steve Revill owns a 20% stake in RISC OS Open, as do each of fellow ex-Pace and ex-Tematic engineers Ben Avison and Andrew Hodgkinson [...]}}

The source code publication was initially facilitated by a shared source initiative (SSI) between ROOL and Castle Technology (CTL),

{{cite web

| url = http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact1786.html

| title = Castle and ROS Open reveal plans for 2007

| accessdate = 2011-02-22

| date = 2007-01-20

| work = Drobe

| quote = [...] the shared source initiative - which is designed to get the source code to RISC OS 5 out into the open for free [...]}}

prior to a switch to the more widely recognised Apache licence in October 2018.

{{cite web

| url = https://www.riscosopen.org/news/articles/2018/10/22/risc-os-is-open-for-business

| title = RISC OS is open for business!

| accessdate = 2020-01-03

| date = 2018-10-22

| publisher = RISC OS Open

| quote = RISC OS Open Ltd (ROOL) are hugely proud to [...] republish the source code to this popular niche operating system under the Apache 2.0 License, in a move aimed at removing existing barriers to entry for developers [...]}}

ROOL hopes that by making the RISC OS source code available for free it will help stimulate development of both the RISC OS source code and the platform as a whole.

{{cite news

| first = John

| last = Cartmell

| title = Interview

| date = Summer 2007|issue=283

| publisher = Finnybank Ltd

| work = Qercus

| quote = We really want to stimulate development both in and around RISC OS}}

{{cite news

| first = Louie

| last = Smith

| title = Interview

| date = November 2008|issue=9

| publisher = [RISC OS Now]

| work = RISC OS Now

| quote = The whole project is based on the fundamental premise that the software will die out if there are no developers.}}