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Sun to Release Forte CE Under Mozilla License
A reader writes "Sun will be releasing the source of their Forte for Java IDE (formerly Netbeans) under the Mozilla license. I believe this would be the first time Sun has released a major product under an approved open source license. "
Although this is not an annoucement with the kind of importance like Java being opened, it is an important testing of the waters for Sun and should be encouraged rather than flamed.
To expect a company that has spent 20 odd years in fierce competition to suddenly drop all that and "get" the idea of giving stuff away is asking too much. It'll be done in steps, and we should support and offer useful criticism rather than just dismissal.
The only thing left to see is if they actually do it, being as the actual release is still two months away. Sun has changed it's course before, hopefully they don't do it here.
Hotnutz.com - Funny
First: this is not the first time Sun has released open-source software. NFS, NIS, parts of XEmacs, parts of X, XView, olwm, and of course RPC and XDR are all open-source software released by Sun. All of these, except for the XEmacs parts, were released under a BSDish license.
Not that this isn't important --- all of the things mentioned above were at least ten years ago.
About Lothar's post about defense systems and banking systems being open-source: of course they should be open source. Would you really want to be defended by "defense" systems the would-be defenders didn't have the source to? Would you really want to run your bank with software you didn't have the source to?
RMS has never said that all software should be freely available --- just that people who have a piece of software have the right to use, copy, modify, and redistribute the software as they see fit.
Other minor points: the Mozilla license is OK according to OSI and Debian; the MPL doesn't let the original author use your code in proprietary software (but the NPL does); releasing public domain software doesn't automatically make you liable for damages; US-government-made software is in the public domain because government works are not eligible for copyright, not because the government can get away with it.
I'm really depressed with the quality of comments that get moderated up on Slashdot these days.
Sun released Tomcat (the Servlet/JSP reference implementation) under the Apache license as Project Jakarta. This was a pretty major release. :)
Check it out at:
jakarta.apache.org.
- The GNU General Public License (GPL);
- The GNU Library or `Lesser' Public License (LGPL);
- The BSD license;
- The MIT license (sometimes called called the `X Consortium license');
- The Artistic license;
- The Mozilla Public License (MPL);
- The Qt Public License (QPL).
- The IBM Public License.
- The MITRE Collaborative Virtual Workspace License (CVW License).
- The Ricoh Source Code Public License.
- The Python license.
- The zlib/libpng license.
Other conforming licenses include the IJG JPEG library license and the OPL (OpenLDAP Public License).-tim
Sorry, but I have to rant about Sun here for a bit. Before someone says it: no, I'm not some Microsoft troll here. I have used Java and C++ both quite extensively. Also, I've dealt with Sun's marketing people (namely, in getting a piece of software certified 100% Pure Java).
Sun does some things very well. Perhaps the thing they are best at doing, is catering to the "suits". This announcement just felt like more attention gathering to this effect, since Open Source is the buzzword right now.
However, Sun is all about money. Big money. Enterprise level stuff. They don't give a rat's ass about the little guy. You'd be amazed how many emails I've received from them since I got that product certified. Usually, they want me to participate in some conference at $5k a pop.
This announcement is just posturing and nothing more. Look at the second part of it, for example:
2. Is everything in Forte for Java, Community Edition being open-sourced?
No. The binary version of Forte for Java, Community Edition includes two components that will not be open-sourced: the browser and the compiler. If required, the modular design of Forte for Java, Community Edition permits developers to replace these components with alternatives.
Now, I'm not one to bite the hand that feeds me. If Sun wants to make this small open-source handout, then that's fine. But it's more hype than anything. Much like Java in general.
Yes I may sound bitter, but that's just because I'm sick of the games that Sun plays. They are your stereotypical "big" corporation... through and through.
Hope that wasn't too offtopic but Sun just irks me sometimes with all the attention they get for stupid little meaningless gestures. They care about the Linux community about as much as Microsoft does. Don't doubt it for a second.
Best regards,
SEAL
"Approved open source license"? Come on now! Since when does Sun owe you, me, or anyone else anything? Sun can release their products under whatever license they feel like. I'm thrilled that they're releasing anything. Do you have any idea how much energy it takes to change corporate inertia and convince the managers, directors, and board members that releasing source is good? I'm impressed that they do anything at all. And I'm even more impressed that they don't get pissed off by people whinning about the steps that they take. Stand down your GPL jihad and give them a break!
"I shoulda never sent a penguin out to do a daemon's work."
Cat, the other, tastier white meat.