Open Source Software Development Tool Installation: Challenges and Strategies For Novice Developers
Larissa Salerno, Christoph Treude, Patanamon Thongtatunam

TL;DR
This study investigates the challenges faced by novice developers during software development tool installation, highlighting issues like unclear documentation and strategies such as reformulating search queries, based on analysis of real installation sessions.
Contribution
It provides empirical insights into novice developers' installation challenges and strategies, offering practical recommendations for improving documentation and support.
Findings
Unclear documentation is a common challenge.
Novices often reformulate search queries to troubleshoot.
Reliance on non-official sources is prevalent.
Abstract
As the world of technology advances, so do the tools that software developers use to create new programs. In recent years, software development tools have become more popular, allowing developers to work more efficiently and produce higher-quality software. Still, installing such tools can be challenging for novice developers at the early stage of their careers, as they may face challenges, such as compatibility issues (e.g., operating systems). Therefore, this work aims to investigate the challenges novice developers face in software development when installing software development tools. To investigate these, we conducted an analysis of 24 live software installation sessions to observe challenges and comprehend their actions, the strategies they apply, and the type of source of information they consult when encountering challenges. Our findings show that unclear documentation, such as…
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Taxonomy
TopicsScientific Computing and Data Management
