Top Open Source Technologies Organizations Are Using

By FOSSlife Team, 08 February, 2023

“It is a great time to be an engineer with open source knowledge and experience, as there are many opportunities," says the 2023 State of Open Source Report, but what kind of open source knowledge and experience are companies looking for?

In a previous article, we shared reasons why organizations use open source along with challenges associated with its use, as cited in the report. Here, we’ll see what open source technologies those organizations are using to get a better idea of what skills they’re looking for.

Tools and Technologies

“Lack of skills, experience, and proficiency remains a problem for organizations around the world,” the report says, so let’s check out the particular tools and technologies used by the organizations surveyed.

Languages

According to the report, the top languages organizations use to build applications are:

JavaScript
Python
Node.js
Oracle Java
PHP
C/C++

This list is not surprising as JavaScript is widely cited as the most popular programming language. However, when language use is considered in relation to organization size, the picture is slightly different, as organizations with more than 5,000 employees use Python most, followed by C/C++, and then JavaScript.

Linux Distributions

Next, let’s look at Linux distributions. According to the organizations surveyed, the most frequently used distros are:

Ubuntu (29.4%)
Alpine (21.1%)
Oracle Linux (19.7%)
Arch Linux (18.4%)
CentOS (16.7%)
Debian (16.6%)

Further down the list are openSUSE (at 12.9%), Rocky Linux (9.2%), and AlmaLinux (3.2%).

The report observes that the tech companies surveyed “are still predominantly using CentOS, likely because they have a large number of deployments on CentOS and have not had time to migrate. Other industries, particularly telecommunications and transportation, favor CentOS Stream, Rocky Linux, and AlmaLinux.”

Cloud-Native Technologies

In terms of cloud technologies, the report states that “with the exception of OpenStack, cloud-native technologies show significant adoption in organizations of all types and sizes.”
Specifically, the top cloud-native technologies used by the organizations surveyed are:

Docker (26.8%)
OKD (22.7%)
Kubernetes (22.5%)
Open Telemetry (17.3%)
Jaeger (17.0%)
Nomad (16.1%)

Future Use

And, the technologies that organizations are most interested in implementing in the future include:

Artificial intelligence / machine learning / deep learning
Kubernetes or Kubernetes operators
Virtual reality or augmented reality
Data science

So, if you’re interested in building or advancing your career with open source, gaining proficiency with the tools and technologies mentioned here seems like a safe bet.