Sun GPLs Java!!

[JGuru]

First, Sun Microsystems Inc. wouldn't do it. Then Sun teased us with it. Now, on Nov. 13, Sun will finally open-source its implementations of Java under the GNU GPLv2 (General Public License version 2).

On Monday, Sun released the first pieces of source code for Sun's implementation of JSE (Java Platform Standard Edition) and a buildable implementation of JME (Java Platform Micro Edition). Sun will also be making JEE (Java Platform Enterprise Edition) available under the GPLv2 license. JEE had already been available under Sun's CDDL (Common Development and Distribution License), through Project GlassFish.

Sun states that this announcement represents one of the largest source code contributions under the GPL license, and also that it is the open-sourcing of one of the industry's most significant and pervasive software platforms.

Singing a different tune

It wasn't so long ago that former Sun CEO Scott McNealy said that Sun didn't see the point in providing an open-source implementation. "We're trying to understand what problem does it solve that is not already solved," McNealy said.

Sun is singing a very different tune, not three years later. "By open sourcing Sun's implementation of Java technology, we will inspire a new phase of developer collaboration and innovation using the NetBeans IDE (Integrated Development Environment) and expect the Java platform to be the foundation infrastructure for next generation Internet, desktop, mobile and enterprise applications," said Rich Green, Sun's executive VP of Software in a statement.

"With the JDK (Java Development Kit) released as free software under the GPL, Sun will be working closely with distributors of the GNU/Linux operating system, who will soon be able to include the JDK as part of the open source repositories that are commonly included with GNU/Linux distributions," he added.

Industry figures, who had been asking Sun to open-source Java since 2004, were pleased with the move, and, in particular, Sun's choice in licenses. "Everyone has been expecting that one day Sun would open source Java technology, but no one expected just how far they'd go -- GPL. A bold move, and a great opportunity both for Sun and for free and open source software," said Tim O'Reilly, founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media.

Read more about it here

[kumarmohit]

Good for Sun! I hope this helps in reducing the bloat in java runtime env. now that it will be managed the FOSS community.