Happy birthday, Software Heritage!
Software Heritage is celebrating its 10th anniversary: a decade dedicated to preserving and sharing software.
Launched in 2016 at Inria, with the support of UNESCO, the project was led by two researchers: Roberto Di Cosmo and Stefano Zacchiroli. Software Heritage responded to a need that had become critical: preserving source code, whose fragility contrasts with the ubiquity of the software that structures our digital environment.
In academia, source code and software are pillars of scientific reproducibility. But, as illustrated by the source code exhibition inaugurated at the annual symposium on 28 January at UNESCO, their value extends far beyond this context. They also bear witness to our history, serve as cultural artefacts and reflect our society. Software is no longer a niche area reserved for specialists. This was one of the key findings of the anniversary symposium, which highlighted the challenges for the next 10 years: operational resilience, long-term management and shared digital sovereignty.
Today, Software Heritage offers a sovereign infrastructure in which all public software is preserved, thanks to the commitment of dedicated teams, distributed mirrors, and the constant support of its investors and collaborators.
Software Heritage in LORD (Lille Open Research Data)
Since LORD was accredited as a data management cluster, Software Heritage has been present there. Since 2022, the Fabrique de la science ouverte (French only) has been hosting events focused on aspects of software, particularly Software Heritage and its features. We are therefore fortunate to be able to count on the unflagging support of our local ambassador, Alexis Lebis, and the availability of the members of Software Heritage, whom we would like to thank. In addition, in collaboration with Inria, a doctoral training session dedicated to the promotion and preservation of research software was launched in 2024. Since 2025, this session has also been open to staff via webinars and workshops.
Our pratical support
To date, we offer the following:
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Clear recommendations for our communities on software archiving;
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Support for archiving and reporting in HAL;
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Advice on best practices for documentation and the minimum elements to be provided with the code when archiving and reporting in HAL;
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Guidance on best practices for software management via software forges (and how to choose them wisely!);
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Training sessions for staff and researchers.
We wish Software Heritage a happy birthday: here's to ever greater sovereignty, preservation and sharing of software!