Sun making Java open-source software under the GPL.

[feedback]

"Computer server and software maker Sun Microsystems Inc. said Monday that it had begun to make its Java technology an open-source software project available for free on the Internet.

The announcement represents one of the largest additions of computer code to the open-source community — and it marks a major shift for a company that had once fiercely protected the source code used in 3.8 billion cell phones, supercomputers, medical devices and other gadgets.

Santa Clara-based Sun said it is making nearly all of Java's source code — excluding small pockets of code that aren't owned by Sun — available under the GNU General Public License. The same type of license also covers the distribution of the core, or kernel, of the popular open-source operating system Linux, which competes against Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system.

Making Java an open-source project allows programmers from around the world to examine, modify, fix bugs and contribute new features in Java's underlying code. It requires that any changes be made public".

Link to Article 1 HERE. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15697227/) Link to Article 2 HERE. (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061113-8205.html)

P.S. What is your opinion of why Sun finally released Java as open-source and what are the ramifications?

[DarkZell666]

As a Java developper myself, I was pretty happy with all the Java tools that already exist, so this doesn't affect me too much.

But, I suppose their opening their code to the public is indeed an invitation to have some progress done (especially in the speed department if you want my advice xD).

All I hope is that it won't generate all sorts of nearly-like-java-but-even-better-and-smarter-or-even-incompatible-dialect.

This has got to remain a unique project, and I hope it won't become a linux-like hellhouse (which distro should I use ??? does that ring a bell anyone ? :/).

*crosses his fingers*

[int10h]

All I hope is that it won't generate all sorts of nearly-like-java-but-even-better-and-smarter-or-even-incompatible-dialect.

There already was a project to propose a free Java implementation (GNU Classpath (http://www.gnu.org/software/classpath/)). The release of the Java code under the GPL might make it obsolete, or speed it up by allowing more people to contribute. Anyway, the main purpose of the GPL (beyond philosophy) is to permit redistribution of modified code, so there probably will be forks. That should not prevent Sun's Java to stay the same.

RMS explains the background of free Java here (http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/java-trap.html).