Red Hat: Java Linux license does not go far enough | The Register
> Sun Microsystems’ new GNU/Linux-friendly Java license does not go far enough for Red Hat. It says Sun should have open-sourced Java instead.
> Brian Stevens, Red Hat CTO, told The Register Sun should open-source its Java Virtual Machine (JVM) (which is licensed by Red Hat) so developers can improve the software’s real-time capabilities.
> According to Stevens, Sun’s Distro License for Java (DLJ) – launched at this week’s JavaOne conference – will reduce companies’ legal costs. But does not satisfy the desire for open source Java. He criticized Sun for being reactive, rather than leading, on the issue of open source Java. “They try to do the minimal amount they can get away with,” he said.
At the moment, I’m somewhat pleased that Linux distributions can ship the Sun jvm with their OS, as I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve downloaded the jvm myself for installing. And, as it’s a hassle, I keep forgetting to upgrade to new versions. Much better to let the distros do it for me, and have new versions automatically apper on my desktop machines.
But, I do understand the need and want of an OpenSource and free jvm implementation that people easily can contribute to and optimize. A custom jvm tweaked for your own projects would be really nice to have and could improve the perfomance of a lot of legacy systems.
