Sun releases Java under GPLv2 [LWN.net]

Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 13, 2006 21:12 UTC (Mon) by AJWM (subscriber, #15888)
In reply to: Sun releases Java under GPLv2 by tjc
Parent article: Sun releases Java under GPLv2

One implication of this is that because it permits all Linux distros to include Java from the get-go, installation and management software can now be built with Java. Said software has been built with other languages in the past (eg Python) so I don't know how much difference this would really make.

It also makes possible (at least from a license standpoint) tighter integration of the JVM with the kernel, or kernel optimizatons to support the JVM, to improve Java performance. Whether the kernel devs think this is a good idea or not is another issue.

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Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 13, 2006 22:53 UTC (Mon) by bojan (subscriber, #14302) [Link]

Yeah, all good points. My notebook currently displays this, when "java -version" is run:

------------------------
java version "1.4.2"
gij (GNU libgcj) version 4.1.1 20061011 (Red Hat 4.1.1-30)

I'm hoping that in the future this will be replaced by something like:

------------------------
java version "1.7.3"
gij (GNU libgcj) version 5.2.3 20081113 (Red Hat 5.2.3-25)
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.7.3_07-b01)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.7.3_07-b01, mixed mode, sharing)

Hey, one can dream, right? ;-)