Juergen Kreileder <jk <at> blackdown.de> writes: > Any help is greatly appreciated. If you want to help, Karl will send > you the necessary paperwork. > > Juergen >
Oh, well. I've read the 8 pages long Non Disclosure Agreement that Karl Asha sent me and I'm having doubts. I like Java and I think it's one of the most influential and great languages. But since I've started using Linux more frequently (and currently it's my main OS) it became apparent to me that the course Sun took with Java is not benefiting for FLOSS and forcibly limits the wide spread of the language and the platform. I understand that Sun wants to protect its value, trademark and PR that Java gives them. But no open sourced (and better yet, free) implementations of JVM/JDK exist, that are fully up to date with Sun's new additions (Java 5 and upcoming Mustang - Java 6). The current Sun's trend is to keep a tight hold on core Java and lotsc of things connected with it. My opinion is that if there WAS up to date free Java platform, the scale and number of places where it could be used would increase enourmously. By simple recompilation of one source base one could then create a JVM for another processor or hardware platform in no time. More widespread use means more developers with deeper knowledge of inner Java workings. More developers means more heads able to help resolve any bugs wrt. porting and running a free JVM. Currently Java growth is slowing in favor of PHP5, Python and Ruby. In short - you've lost me with the proprietary contract you were obliged to send me. That said, I'd rather help the Classpath project or the Harmony project to succeed. I don't want to see the Sun's source code if that would stop me from contributing to a free Java implementation. For the time being, since there is a free Solaris 10 1/06 for SPARC download I've installed this OS (including Java) and only when there is a free Java for Linux on SPARC I'll consider returning back. Sorry folks, see here to know what I mean: "New stable toolchain stuff on SPARC, read before using!" http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-419845.html Excerpt: * Java is broken and masked, the joy of binary packages. We don't want to keep old glibc versions forever. And I'm sure that you've read that: "Eric S. Raymond - Open letter to Sun: Let Java Go" http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/let-java-go.html There's nothing more to say. Wish you the best of luck, you might need it. Wiktor Wandachowicz ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
