Visualizing your SBOMs via graph...


Introduction 

pyspdxtools is a Python library and command-line tool that provides utilities for working with Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) files in the SPDX (Software Package Data Exchange) format. SPDX is a widely adopted standard for documenting the open-source software components used in a project, along with associated metadata such as licenses, copyrights, and relationships between components. 

Why Generate a Graph from an SBOM? 

 
Visualizing an SBOM as a graph helps you quickly understand the relationships between components, dependencies, and packages. By generating a graph, you can: - 
  • Identify Key Dependencies: Easily spot core libraries or components that are crucial to the software. 
  • Understand Relationships: Visualize how different packages are connected, including dependencies and sub-dependencies.

With this tutorial, you’ll be able to generate such a graph from your SPDX SBOM using `pyspdxtools`, making it easier to analyze and present your software’s component relationships.

pyspdxtools Installation:

 Here’s a step-by-step tutorial to install `pyspdxtools`, set up the required dependencies, and generate a graph from an SPDX SBOM. 
 
Prerequisites 
  •  Python 3.7+: Ensure you have Python 3.7 or later installed. 
  •  Pip: Make sure `pip` is installed to manage Python packages. 

Step 0: Clone the Repository 


$ git clone git@github.com:spdx/tools-python.git
$ cd tools-python

Step 1: Set Up a Virtual Environment (Optional but Recommended) 

Create and activate a virtual environment to avoid conflicts with other Python packages. 

$ python3 -m venv spdxenv
$ source spdxenv/bin/activate
 

Step 2: Install `pyspdxtools` and Required Dependencies First, install the base package: 


$ pip install .

Check if `pyspdxtools` is installed or not: 

$ pyspdxtools --help 


To generate graphs, you need additional dependencies: `networkx` and `pygraphviz`. Install these using the following command: 


$ sudo apt-get install graphviz libgraphviz-dev $ pip install ".[graph_generation]" 


Step 3: Generate a Graph from Your SPDX SBOM 


Before generating the graph, validate your SBOM to ensure it’s correct: 

pyspdxtools -i <path_to_your_sbom>

 
If there is no output, it means your SBOM is correct. 
Now, generate the graph: 

pyspdxtools -i <path_to_your_sbom> --graph -o output.png


 Note: Replace `<path_to_your_sbom>` with the path to your SPDX SBOM file. The `output.png` will be the file where the graph is saved. 

Step 4: View the Generated Graph 


After running the command, view the graph using: 

xdg-open output.png # On Linux 


or simply double click that file to see the full image.

Example 

Suppose you have an SBOM file located at `~/sbom/sbomqs-linux.spdx.sbom.json`. Run the following: 

pyspdxtools -i ~/sbom/sbomqs-linux.spdx.sbom.json --graph -o sbom_graph.png 


This will generate a file named `sbom_graph.png` containing the graphical representation of your SBOM. Finally, open it with: 

xdg-open sbom_graph.png # Linux 

 

Conclusion 


This tutorial guides you through installing `pyspdxtools`, setting up the necessary dependencies, and generating a graph from your SBOM. With this, you can easily visualize your SBOM data and gain insights into the relationships between components. 

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