This book consists of nine chapters and four appendixes:
A brief history of free software, and an overview of the open source world today.
How to get an open source project off on the right foot, including gathering developers, choosing a license, and announcing the project.
An in-depth look at the tools a project needs to function smoothly, including communications, version control, and bug tracking software.
How to set up formal and informal political structures to enable project members to work together and achieve consensus on important issues.
Why and how to have a commercial relationship with an open source project.
A guide to productive conduct in project forums, covering both the social and technical aspects of communications.
How to manage regular releases of open source software, without disrupting the development cycles of the volunteer participants.
Understanding why volunteer developers do what they do, and treating them in such a way that they keep doing it.
How to evaluate and choose free software licenses, including an in-depth examination of license compatibility issues.
A list of open source version control systems, for projects just starting out.
Likewise, a list of open source bug trackers.
An oft-cited screed by Poul-Henning Kamp about the dangers of group decision-making and open source discussion lists.
An example that shows how an open source project can use bug reporting instructions to gradually teach certain users about the development procedures the project follows.