Assessing Maintainability Risks in the Open Source Software Supply Chain: An Empirical Quality Approach

The maintainability of open-source supply chain software is crucial for ensuring the security and efficiency of software systems. This research will focus on this area by identifying, quantifying, and validating specific maintainability indicators. Through a structured literature review, empirical surveys, and comparative analyses of projects like webpack and babel, the study develops a comprehensive set of metrics, including team health, project activity, and others. These metrics are quantified and validated, as demonstrated in a case study on AngularJs. The outcomes provide a novel framework for evaluating maintainability in open-source software, offering essential insights for sustainable development and maintenance within the complex environment of software supply chains.