Java is Open! Sun open sources all Java platform implementations as GPL2

Its been debated, discussed and argued over for a long time, but finally its happened. Sun has open sourced Java.

Here’s an excerpt from the Free and Open Source Java FAQ. You can read the entire FAQ here.

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Q. What is Sun announcing?

A. Sun is open sourcing all of its Java platform implementations under same license (called GPL Version 2) used by the GNU/Linux operating system. Specifically Sun is announcing:

* GPL v2 license for Sun’s Java SE (JDK) and Java ME implementations, and adding this license to Sun’s Java EE implementation.
* First release of code for the JDK and for Sun’s Java ME implementation, projects and communities.
* Roadmap for future code releases and community development.

This singular act is the largest contribution ever made to the free software community, and places Sun squarely at the front of the open-source movement – as the single biggest commercial contributor.

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Although this has been a long anticipated and awaited move, it’s still not clear how open sourcing Java will affect the growth of the language. While some believe it’s the best thing to happen to Java, a comment on a recent post says “The first guy who doesn’t like the direction given by the main
developers will fork Java and in 5 years, it will be as the linux world: a
whole mess.”

For an insight on open source Java, don’t miss the open source Java discussion at the IndicThreads.com Conference On Java Technology.

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