In the quickly growing ecosystem of open source on the mainframe, you contend with multiple operating systems, versions, and types of support. For Linux alone, there are so many different open source software projects available that it is often overwhelming for developers. You can spend a lot of time searching for the software, from finding the package an official distribution to cross referencing that with lists like the Validated Open Source Software List. Once you’ve gone through these steps – you then have to figure out whether there is paid or community support for it.

For those who don’t know where to begin, Open Mainframe Project’s Software Discovery Tool will help match developers with the best open source software that meets their needs. Developers can search through open source software for zArchitecture/s390x for any Z operating system from any source, any repo, anywhere, in one place.

The Software Discovery Tool consolidates extensive research into a single simplified search tool that:

• saves you time and resources
• is maintained by a team of open source experts
• has a standard back-end for adding your own software

This project offers developers who are looking for an easy, high-impact project to work on and an opportunity to give back to the open source community and help others along on their journey. Get involved today!