====== Introduction to FOSSology ======

The FOSSology software is Free and Open Source Software representing a system for analyzing and studying __FOSS__ – //Free and Open Source Software//.

FOSSology uses a framework that provides the following capabilities:
  * Upload file(s)
  * Unpack and store the data to be analyzed
  * Invoke specialized "agents" to analyze the data 
  * Populate a database to store and display the results

Currently, FOSSology provides a license agent that scans and analyzes data for potential software licenses using a sophisticated pattern-matching algorithm.  Other agents can be created and used with FOSSology to extend the capabilities of the system.

The FOSSology system consists of the following major components:

  * [[Repository|Software Repository]] - Stores the actual files loaded into the FOSSology system.  

  * [[Database]] - Stores the analysis results generated by the Agents (Note that in some cases, analysis results are stored directly in the software repository).  The database also contains operational data like job control and an error log.

  * [[Agents]] - Perform the analysis of the data that has been uploaded.  Agents typically read data from the Software Repository and write the results to the Database. 

  * [[Scheduler]] - Runs the agents, making efficient use of available resources.

  * [[Overview of the User Interface|User Interface]] - Provides the web-based Graphical User Interface for the FOSSology software.








===== About this Documentation =====

This documentation describes the user interface for the FOSSology tool, called the FOSSology **Software Repository Viewer**.  The Software Repository Viewer provides a user-friendly interface to the FOSSology infrastructure described above.  

Refer to [[http://fossology.org/user_documentation|User Docs]] for an index of documentation describing FOSSology's user interface.

  


===== Intended Audience =====
This document is intended for general users of FOSSology who want to download and analyze software packages or individual files.  It assumes that the user has Linux operating system experience, and some knowledge of open source governance topics. 

System Administrators can refer to the following documentation for further information:

  * README file - Quick installation information.  Included with the software installation package.

Software Developers can refer to the [[Developer Documentation]] which provides detailed information about the technical implementation of the FOSSology tool.  It is intended for anyone who wants to create agents or modify the tool.


===== Prerequisites =====

The FOSSology tool must already be installed and set up on your system by a system administrator with full privileges. These tasks are described in the README (//Installation Guide//) that is packaged with the FOSSology software.