RSSSun: Help Us Open Source Java
by Nate Mook
Following through on a promise it made earlier this month, Sun confirmed at the JavaOne conference in San Francisco Tuesday that it would open the source code to Java, but said it needs the community's help in getting it done to prevent fragmentation of the technology.
"The question is not whether we will open-source Java, the question is how," Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz said during his opening keynote. His statement followed a similar one by Rich Green, Sun's executive vice president of software, but neither provided any specific timeline for the move.
While Sun did not provide JavaOne attendees any Java source code, it is opening up a number of related enterprise technologies. Sun Java Studio Creator and System Portal Server are among those that are available to developers starting Tuesday.
In addition, Sun rolled out a new licensing program for operating systems, which will make it easier for companies -- including FreeBSD, Linux and OpenSolaris vendors -- to bundle the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) with their distributions. Restrictive licensing has held back Java's adoption on these platforms.
Green says Sun will now work with the Java community to figure out the best way to open source the platform and avoid problems that have plagued Linux and other open technologies. Compatibility is a primary concern from developers who want to ensure their applications will work in any Java environment.
"This is something for us to go figure out," Green said.
14 Comments
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It's really only a license issue. With all these dam restriction Open Sourcing Java in one way or another and making it compatible with OSI (Open Source initiative) can smooth the pipes.
Java has their standard base, like Linux Standard Base, to keep things standard.
Standards go way beyond fragmentation. Standards go beyond code because standards is law.
It's really the standards that rule. If someone else comes out with a new standard that's better then Sun then good for society and Sun will die like they should in a free market system.
In the world at large, standards exist beyond the monolithic system. If you think having only one Java and one standard is standard, think again.
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Sun doesn't get it. It's not truly open if it can't become fragmented. That's just a fundamental aspect of open source. Some people (like Sun) would call it a weakness. Others would call it a strength.
There's no such thing as an open source license which doesn't allow fragmentation. All the variations of open source licensing basically boil down to different restrictions on: (a) giving proper credit, (b) releasing source for your mods, (c) what you can call your version of the code, (d) in some cases, whether you can use the code in military vs. commercial vs. academic situations.
With Linux, absolutely anybody can modify the kernel on their own and release it at the risk of fragmenting the platform. This is all intentionally part of the open source deal. They would be required to release all source for their mods and Linus reserves the right to prohibit a modified kernel from using the name Linux (in countries where he has been granted trademark). Other than these restrictions, anybody is totally free to add a ham sandwich to Linux if they want to, and that's how it should be.
What Sun is trying to pull is equivalent to Microsoft's "Shared Source Initiative" where you can look at the source code, and in some cases you can make mods for your own private use, but you can't distribute those mods in any way (neither binary nor source form). That's fine if Sun isn't willing to go any further, but they need to be honest and say so, instead of pretending that they want to be truly open.
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What exactly is fragmentation? I can't seem to find the same context on wikipedia.
Also, how would this "help to spur development on the platform" ?
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"I'm sorry your JavaABC is not compatible with JavaDEF, please install the correct type of java and try again"...
We have only just got over the mess Microsoft made by releasing their own java JVM, the last thing Sun and the Java language needs, is more than 1 type of java.
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SUN is right. Java is not a OS like Linux. What will happen if it become fragmented? Program A need JRE A. Program B need JRE B... to run. Itll be a nightmare of SUN, itll kill java.
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Fragmentation is arguably a bad choice for describing the potential of "forked" development projects. Essentially, the same thing happening with Linux distros. As many other comments have eluded: The potential for various flavors to begin competing for different platforms could be disasterous. Just how much control Sun can maintain over the Java effort during open source is unknown. Even with the control Linus and his friends have over the Linux kernel doesn't help with the end results of distro packages, which everyone that uses Linux knows can create a real headache at times.
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I really hate Java. The code, not the coffee.
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Get a life!
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Because???
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...no caffeine? (The code, not the coffee)
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I dunno why does you hate it? Java is one of langs that have the best syntax (easy to read/understand code, I like syntax of Java and C# the most).
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What license it will be? We need not only open source code, but also GPL-compatible license.
Anyway, this will help OpenSource developers to make OpenSource Java (current version of OSJ sux)
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