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Sun Completes Java Core Tech Open-Sourcing

Posted by Zonk on from the the-beans-are-gratis dept.

MsManhattan writes "A year after announcing its plans, Sun Microsystems has made almost all of the core technology in Java available as open-source software under the GNU general public license version 2 (GPLv2). However, some of the code remains 'encumbered'; that is, Sun doesn't have sufficient rights to release it under GPLv2, and the company is requesting the open-source community's help in resolving these issues. Rich Sands, community marketing manager for OpenJDK community at Sun, would not say what percentage of Java's 6.5 million lines of code are encumbered, but explained that it is largely Java 2D graphics technology, such as font and graphics rasterizing."

2 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. Re:SUN and GPL by LDoggg_ · · Score: 4, Interesting

    No need to look the gift horse in the mouth here.

    Sun should be commended for this. It's not just a spec, but the best implementation avaialable.

    And don't forget, it's the same company that gave us open office.

    --

    "If they have both, tell them we use Linux. And if they have that, tell them the computers are down." -Dave Chapelle
  2. Re:Not much of a surprise. by AchiIIe · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I would love to help myself
    As a longtime java developer, and advocate of the open source java, I think it's time to put my time where my mouth is. Albeit a few questions:
    * Where is the effort being organised
    * Is there a list of the methods that need to be reimplemented?
    * Have I been tainted -- I've seen java code before, If I reimplement something and it might look like the previous code, how do I guard against this?
    * Can we make java better?

    --
    Nature journal lied in Britannica vs Wikipedia Ask to retrac