Whoop.

Posted Aug 6, 2003 20:16 UTC (Wed) by jonabbey (guest, #2736)
In reply to: Whoop. by ncm
Parent article: Sun pragmatic about open-source software (News.com)

I think you underestimate Java. Yes, it is a difficult matter to attempt to construct a comprehensive, pervasive VM programming environment, and yes, it isn't politic for Sun not to open their stuff, but the two are linked. A Java world in which every person is free to alter the very definition of Java is a Java world in which portable abstract code is all but impossible.

Sun has contributed a very great thing to the world with Java.. like it or not for technical or political grounds, it has certainly advanced the popular state of the art in programming systems. Mono and .NET are witness to this, even though they both try to dodge Java in the implementation.

Whoop.

Posted Aug 7, 2003 10:50 UTC (Thu) by rjw (guest, #10415) [Link] (2 responses)

If you run a non certified VM, you can expect incompatibilities.
That doesn't mean that the licence should preclude the ability of people to modify their VM.

Java will die if it doesn't become open source, Mono will eat its lunch.

Whoop.

Posted Aug 7, 2003 16:57 UTC (Thu) by jonabbey (guest, #2736) [Link] (1 responses)

Perhaps, but Mono has a long way to go, still.

Whoop.

Posted Aug 8, 2003 1:08 UTC (Fri) by coriordan (guest, #7544) [Link]

yes, and after pressure from HP and Intel, Ximian changed the license to X style (noncopyleft).

So any company can take the Mono classes/librarys, extend them and not give their improvements back to the community. Anyone who doesn't share is at an advantage. All code from the Mono crew can be taken away and there's nothing to require others to contribute back.

I can't understand this move at all. The LGPL allows for proprietary linking, why not use it?

Ciaran O'Riordan