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Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 13, 2006 18:12 UTC (Mon) by ajross (subscriber, #4563)
In reply to: Sun releases Java under GPLv2 by kjp
Parent article: Sun releases Java under GPLv2

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.


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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.

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