Book Metadata & Purchasing Info
Relevant source files
The following files were used as context for generating this wiki page:
The "Architecture of Open Source Applications" (AOSA) project maintains a comprehensive set of metadata to manage its four volumes: Volume 1, Volume 2, The Performance of Open Source Applications (POSA), and 500 Lines or Less. This metadata encompasses chapter titles, author attributions, licensing terms, and purchasing pathways for various physical and digital formats. The project operates on a non-profit basis, with all royalties from book sales being donated to Amnesty International.
Sources: CLAUDE.md:14-22, metadata/index.html.md:214-220
Book Volumes and Structure
The project is organized into four distinct volumes, each focusing on different aspects of software architecture and implementation.
| Volume | Focus | Number of Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| Volume 1 | Wide range of applications (e.g., Asterisk, LLVM, Mercurial) | 25 Chapters + Intro + Bibliography |
| Volume 2 | Structure and scale (e.g., Git, nginx, SQLAlchemy) | 24 Chapters + Intro + Bibliography |
| POSA | Performance optimization and high-performance networking | 12 Chapters + Intro |
| 500 Lines | Complete systems implemented in 500 lines or less | 22 Chapters + Intro |
Sources: CLAUDE.md:14-22, CLAUDE.md:38-42
Metadata Organization
Metadata is stored in a dedicated metadata/ directory, containing the main index (table of contents), purchasing information, licensing details, and FAQs.
The following flowchart represents the navigation structure between metadata components:
The diagram shows how the central index acts as a gateway to purchasing, legal information, and support documentation.
Sources: CLAUDE.md:24-32, metadata/index.html.md:46
Purchasing and Distribution Channels
The books are distributed through multiple channels, including physical paperbacks and various digital e-book formats. The project emphasizes that while Amazon is a distribution channel, sales through Lulu result in higher donations to Amnesty International.
Available Formats by Volume
| Volume | Paperback | ePub | Kindle (MOBI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume 1 | Yes (Lulu) | Yes (Lulu) | Yes (Lulu) | Yes (Amazon) |
| Volume 2 | Yes (Lulu) | N/A | Yes (Lulu) | Yes (Amazon) |
| POSA | Yes (Lulu) | Yes (Lulu) | Yes (Lulu) | Yes (Amazon) |
| 500 Lines | Yes (Lulu) | Yes (Lulu) | N/A | N/A |
Sources: metadata/buy.html.md:8-44, metadata/faq.html.md:32-35
Distribution Logic
The project uses a print-on-demand model primarily through Lulu.com. For digital distribution, standard formats like PDF, EPUB, and MOBI are used to ensure cross-platform compatibility.
This diagram illustrates the workflow for users acquiring a volume and the subsequent flow of royalties.
Sources: metadata/buy.html.md:1-44, metadata/faq.html.md:40-47
Licensing and Open Access
A critical component of the project's metadata is the enforcement of open access. All content is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC-A) license.
Key Licensing Terms:
- Reuse: Users may reuse, translate, and commercially publish the content.
- Requirement: Any reuse must cite the original source and author(s).
- Idealism vs. Pragmatism: The license was chosen to lower barriers for developers and acknowledge the difficulty of locking down digital content.
- Translations: While CC-A and donations to Amnesty International are preferred for translations, they are not strictly insisted upon for commercial versions.
Sources: metadata/index.html.md:214-220, metadata/faq.html.md:52-58, metadata/faq.html.md:76-83
Translation Metadata (Korean)
The repository includes a specific metadata structure for the Korean translation project, tracking the progress of localized content and assets.
Asset Management
The project tracks the migration of remote image assets to local storage to facilitate offline reading and translation.
| Category | Image Count | Key Asset Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Metadata | 4 | Book covers (cover1.jpg, posa-cover.png) |
| Volume 1 | 121 | Asterisk, Audacity, LLVM diagrams |
| Volume 2 | 118 | Git, nginx, SQLAlchemy diagrams |
| POSA | 62 | Performance graphs and traces |
| 500 Lines | 90 | Spreadsheet and Web Server images |
Sources: korean_translation/metadata/index.html.md:1-203, download_summary.md:7-14, download_summary.md:24-34
Summary
The metadata system of the AOSA project serves as the connective tissue between the technical architectural descriptions and the project's operational goals. By maintaining detailed indices, clear licensing metadata, and multi-channel purchasing info, the project ensures that the collective knowledge of dozens of open-source authors remains accessible to the global developer community while supporting international human rights through its royalty model.
Sources: metadata/index.html.md:222-231, metadata/faq.html.md:112-120