As the open source software movement gains momentum, it has become increasingly difficult for developers to keep track of what is going on. That's where Ohloh steps in. The Bellevue company today is announcing that it has created the largest directory of open source software, chronicling more than 260,000 projects.

The site encourages users to edit, add and discuss projects, ranging from well known open source software such as MySQL and Mozilla Firefox to lesser known efforts such as CakePHP and Drupal. In addition to listing details about the software, Ohloh also offers the underlying code. And it offers metrics, showing which projects are the most popular among developers.

The goal, says CEO Scott Collison, is to "cut through the confusion" around open source software.

Of course, making money on open source can be tricky. After all, Ohloh's directory is free to use. So, Ohloh has two primary money making vehicles, with a third on the way.

The company runs advertisements on the software downloads it hosts. It also sells detailed reports on trends in open source software development. Later this year, the company plans to roll out an offering where it will help support many of the open source applications in its directory, said Collison.

With the tough times in the economy, Collison sees more people turning to open source software as a cost-cutting measure. That could mean they need a resource to conduct research and learn from others in the community.

"In this economic downturn, interest in Ohloh and open source software has really picked up," he said.

The 4-person startup has raised about $1.7 million.