Each year sees the start of thousands of new open source projects. Only a handful gets real traction. Some projects gain momentum by building on existing, well-known technologies; others truly break new ground. Many projects are created to solve a simple development problem, while others begin with loftier intentions shared by like-minded developers around the world.

Since 2009, the open source software logistics company Black Duck has identified the Open Source Rookies of the Year, based on activity tracked by its Open Hub (formerly Ohloh) site. This year, we're delighted to present 10 winners and two honorable mentions for 2015, selected from thousands of open source projects. Using a weighted scoring system, points were awarded based on project activity, the pace of commits, and several other factors.

Open source has become the industry's engine of innovation. This year, for example, growth in projects related to Docker containerization trumped every other rookie area -- and not coincidentally reflected the most exciting area of enterprise technology overall. At the very least, the projects described here provide a window on what the global open source developer community is thinking, which is fast becoming a good indicator of where we're headed.