Will Oracle Surrender NetBeans to Apache? (infoworld.com)

An anonymous Slashdot reader quotes InfoWorld: Venerable open source Java IDE NetBeans would move from Oracle's jurisdiction to the Apache Software Foundation under a proposal... endorsed by Java founder James Gosling, a longtime fan of the IDE. Moving NetBeans to a neutral venue like Apache, with its strong governance model, would help the project attract more contributions from various organizations, according to the proposal posted in the Apache wiki.

"Large companies are using NetBeans as an application framework to build internal or commercial applications and are much more likely to contribute to it once it moves to neutral Apache ground," the proposal says. While Oracle will relinquish its control over NetBeans under the proposal, individual contributors from Oracle are expected to continue contributing to the project.
On Facebook, Gosling posted the proposal meant "folks like me can more easily contribute to our favorite IDE. The finest IDE in existence will be getting even better, faster!" InfoWorld reports that when aked if Oracle had neglected NetBeans, Gosling said, "Oracle didn't single out NetBeans for neglect, they neglect everything... I'm thrilled that the NetBeans community will now be able to chart its own course."

Comments

This seems more like a 'hostile takeover'

[guruevi]

For one, this is a proposal to the Apache foundation to take it onto. There is no indication that Oracle has any say in it.

For second "CDDL + GPL v2 with Classpath Exception. Upon entering Apache, the NetBeans license will be migrated to the current Apache License." Not sure how it is possible to 'migrate' GPLv2 code to Apache since the license is incompatible.

Re: This seems more like a 'hostile takeover'

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm sure all commits to Sun and Oracle required copyright assignments, so it's trivial for Oracle to relicense.

Already approved

[Dan East]

Will Oracle Surrender NetBeans to Apache?

Why is this posed as a question? The articles say Oracle has already turned it over to Apache.

Also, when I see stuff like this:

The finest IDE in existence

My attention immediately shuts off any I have no respect for what that person is saying. Sounds like marketing drivel.

Hoping it's a better success than OpenOffice.org

[Kobun]

Since Netbeans doesn't have an off-shoot project caused by Oracle's famous Neglect(tm), this seems like it ought to be more successful than the OO.org fiasco. Maybe?

Re:Finest IDE?

[TheRealMindChild]

No SourceSafe? Pffffffffffff

Re:Fuck Java

[Dutch Gun]

Just FYI, despite what it says in the summary, NetBeans is an IDE with lots of plugins and language support, and works just fine for C++ development as well as Java. I'm using it for the Linux port of my game, written entirely in C++.