Apache group takes a big step toward open source Java

At least one version of Java code, Java 2 Standard Edition, may soon be set free of Sun Microsystems’ notoriously complicated licensing. While Sun is apparently OK with it, some of its large, license-paying-through-the-nose customers won’t be.

Almost 10 years to the day since Sun first introduced Java, the news comes that it may finally become open source code. Sun will deny it, but the move has been inevitable for some time. On Feb. 1, it was open source Solaris 10. Now it’s J2SE, which will take a year or more to become available, if and when it gets past all the political hurdles. Next up: J2 Enterprise Edition? That will take a bit longer, although it does have three major J2EE F/OSS projects — JBoss, Jonas, and Geronimo — all committed to compatibility with the JCP’s specs and all with good relationships with Sun.

A group of 12 Apache developers have put together a proposal called Harmony. The proposal appeared as a simple project call last Friday on an Apache incubator mailing list. It would make this new, built-from-the-ground-up version of Java available under the Apache 2.0 free software license. And it’s causing quite a stir in the Java community, especially since respected Sun frontmen Tim Bray, Simon Phipps, and Graham Hamilton have given the project their blessing. As yet there has been no reaction from Dr. Java, James Gosling himself, who is in Brazil talking to developers.

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