Re: GPL Java

["Joshua J. Kugler" <joshua@eeinternet.com>]

On Tuesday 14 November 2006 04:02, Gregory Seidman wrote:
> Okay, so Java's GPL'd now: http://www.sun.com/2006-1113/feature/index.jsp
> (Also http://java.net/ )
>
> How soon will we see packages in main at long last? Granted, a buildable
> JDK isn't expected until Spring of next year...

I'm going to be a real stinker here and offer my guess: never.  My first 
thought when I read the announcement was: "Great, it can now be included as 
the default JVM in Linux, Debian included."  But then I quickly returned to 
reality and remembered the whole trademark and DFSG thing.  While Sun 
released the *code* as GPL, I'm sure to be called Java, it will have to 
follow certain parameters.  If that simply means passing a test suite, then 
including it in Debian might be possible, but if it means Sun approving all 
the patches, approving binaries, etc, then we'll probably end up with 
IcedLatte, or some such "almost Java" package.

But...I could be wrong, and honestly do hope I am.

j

-- 
Joshua Kugler                           
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