Finally, Sun Open Sources Java!

Techtree News Staff, Nov 13, 2006 1545 hrs IST

Seems Sun Microsystems has finally relented under pressure to open source its Java programming language and associated software.

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Seems Sun Microsystems has finally relented under pressure to open source its Java programming language and associated software.

Today, the company will be releasing the first Java code under version 2 of the General Public License (GPLv2), which governs Linux and other open source products.

According to Sun, this move will promote Java and make it easier to bundle with Linux.

The Sun-hosted Java.net Web site will offer access to Java Platform Micro Edition (Java ME) software for mobile phones and Java Platform Standard Edition (Java SE) software for desktop applications.

Commenting on the development, Rich Green, Executive Vice President of Software, Sun, said, this is a milestone for the whole industry, and that not only are they making an influential and widely-used software platform for the Web available under open source, but that they are paving the way for a paradigm shift in how software is enhanced and developed.

While additions to software available under GPL have to also use the license, Sun is making an exception in the case of Java Standard Edition (Java SE). Meaning, programmers creating applications using Java SE will not be required to use the GPL license, and can instead opt for any other license for their applications.

Also, Sun will continue to offer commercial licenses that give other software vendors legal indemnification and official standards certification.

All in all, Sun's move comes as a pleasant surprise, considering the company has continually resisted calls to open source Java, citing fears that such an action would cause incompatibilities among "forked" versions of the code.

USER COMMENTS

plz download the java software on my id or computer

by poojatyagi, ghaziabad, on Dec 14, 2006 01:56 PM, Report abuse Reply

ok i m having it.i ll mail u.

by manish, ghaziabad, on Dec 14, 2006 04:21 PM, Report abuse

download the java software

by poojatyagi, ghaziabad, on Dec 14, 2006 02:01 PM, Report abuse Reply

plz download the java software

by poojatyagi, ghaziabad, on Dec 14, 2006 01:59 PM, Report abuse Reply

now .net is under threat really. i am sure MSFT will do something. it may buy out GOOGLE and SUN.

by cyborg, mumbai, on Nov 13, 2006 07:57 PM, Report abuse Reply

no need to scream that ur dum dude

by rip, Delhi, on Nov 13, 2006 11:16 PM, Report abuse

that gayy basstard rip is back again

by deviant, Rocktown, on Dec 07, 2006 02:05 PM, Report abuse

didn't know what you meant until i searched for rip in techtree. check out no. 7 hitachi endurastar review. rip so boldly professing that he is gaay really cracked me up.

by someone, somewhere, on Dec 07, 2006 02:09 PM, Report abuse

watsup

by chinta0, mumbai, on Nov 20, 2006 08:30 PM, Report abuse Reply

Hope this means more photo stitching software written in Java. I have been using Pixmaker Pro (Singapore) photo stitching software which generates Java spin tours, for the last 4 years. I still can't find a better program for stitching photos into virtual tours and displaying the spin tours on web sites.

by Virtual Tours N, St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador, on Nov 16, 2006 09:36 AM, Report abuse Reply

I see this as bold step forword & deffinately benifiting Java language in the longer run and one of the pioneer in the NET technologies. Sun Microsys have realised quite late but very soon we will see other competitors coming up with something like this , lets wait & watch

by Java Pro, Mumbai, on Nov 14, 2006 12:00 AM, Report abuse Reply

This is clearly in response to novell an m$ teaming up, as well as a response to ixsystems supporting pc-bsd

by jake, sanjoe, on Nov 13, 2006 07:53 PM, Report abuse Reply

Actually Sun said they were going to do this months ago, so I don't think it's at all related to novell and m$ teaming up.

by Dan, Chicago, on Nov 13, 2006 08:00 PM, Report abuse

its great..Because it definitely promote JAVA.

by Nanasaheb Patil, Bangalore, on Nov 13, 2006 07:38 PM, Report abuse Reply