Sun releases Java under GPLv2 [LWN.net]

Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 13, 2006 16:00 UTC (Mon) by rvfh (subscriber, #31018)
Parent article: Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Looks to me like the Trolltech way: GPL + commercial license for those who want to produce proprietary software. Or did I miss something?

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Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 13, 2006 16:11 UTC (Mon) by hilmi (guest, #41368) [Link]

Java SE libraries are licensed with GPL2 + Classpath Exception. This means
you can link and distribute non-GPL applications with GPL Java.

Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 13, 2006 16:20 UTC (Mon) by kjp (subscriber, #39639) [Link]

You missed the 'license' section.

The classpath exception essentially makes the JVM LGPL for the purpose of distributing binary/commercial apps...

Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 13, 2006 18:12 UTC (Mon) by ajross (subscriber, #4563) [Link]

But this really isn't too surprising. The virtual machine is a program, and is under the GPL. The core libraries, being a platform, need a more permissive license. I don't know why they didn't pick the LGPL either, but as you point out this is the same for all practical purposes.

Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 13, 2006 18:38 UTC (Mon) by JoeBuck (subscriber, #2330) [Link]

The GPL+exception works better than the LGPL for embedded systems users, as it's hard to provide the user with a way to relink her ROM code as would be required by the LGPL.

Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 13, 2006 18:39 UTC (Mon) by jcrigby000 (guest, #40881) [Link]

Maybe for the same reason that glibc is gpl+exception. Don't ask me what that reason is however :).

Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 13, 2006 19:25 UTC (Mon) by jeroen (subscriber, #12372) [Link]

glibc is LGPL.

Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 13, 2006 20:04 UTC (Mon) by nix (subscriber, #2304) [Link]

Maybe jcrigby meant libgcc. Compiled-language runtime libraries (which
glibc isn't, not really) tend to be under GPL+exception or something
analogous (they pretty much have to be if the language is to gain traction
outside the pure-free-software world).

Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 14, 2006 8:15 UTC (Tue) by zarcher (subscriber, #845) [Link]

> I don't know why they didn't pick the LGPL either

From the FAQ, http://www.sun.com/software/opensource/java/faq.jsp#g8

Q:
Doesn't GPL v2 + Classpath exception offer very similar licensing terms to the LGPL? Why not use LGPL instead?
A:
Yes, from a practical perspective the Classpath exception establishes similar terms to LGPL. However, the Free software Java technology communities haven't chosen to use LGPL, and so we at Sun decided to follow their lead and use the Classpath exception.