"Boyd Stephen Smith Jr." <bss03@...> posted
200609050815.23666.bss03@..., excerpted below, on  Tue, 05 Sep
2006 08:15:23 -0500:

> On Sunday 03 September 2006 14:39, "Duncan" <1i5t5.duncan@...> wrote 
> about '[gentoo-amd64]  Re: JRE - how to install one?':
>> I don't have a Java installed as
>> none of the options Gentoo provides for that are freedomware and I don't
>> need it enough to bother researching it further.
> 
> Actually, kaffe (GPL-2 licenced) is now an option to satisfy many packages 
> dependencies on a 1.4 (generation-1) jvm/jre/jdk.

Thanks.  I was aware of the program, but wasn't aware Gentoo had it as an
option in our java-config or dependency tree.  When I asked when the new
java-config framework was announced on dev, they said no.  Um... looking
again you said dependency tree but didn't specify it worked with
java-config either.

> We still don't have a freedomware 1.5+ (generation-2) jvm/jre/jdk for
> Gentoo, AFAIK.

Looking forward to Sun's relicensing.  There's speculation that the reason
they are waiting until "early 2007" for parts of it isn't coincidental,
given that's when gpl3 is supposed to be final as well.  Of course they
couldn't pre-announce it as they can't be sure what the final wording will
look like, and if they are thinking about it, could change their minds if
their lawyers don't like the final wording.

If Sun went GPL-3 for a major portion, and chose GPL-2 with the
traditional or later provision for a portion of what they are releasing
later this year, it could end up being the first major project to announce
use of GPL-3.  Given that GPL-3 has addressed many of the issues Sun
claimed to have with GPL-2, it's possible.  Whether they still feel the
need to remain GPL incompatible with v3 remains to be seen, however. 

BTW, given the increased flexibility of v3 at least in the drafts, thus
making it compatible with certain licenses GPL-2 is incompatible with,
does anyone have any good references on whether the CDDL is expected to be
one of the now compatible licenses?  If so, that'd give a way out of the
incompatibility to those projects that have the "or later version" GPL-2
clause.

OTOH, Sun could choose CDDL again, and what a pain that would be (unless
GPL-3 is now compatible, but still for the GPL-2 only group), but it
/would/ reduce the issues to some degree as while code couldn't be copied,
it would be less restricted than now and thus easier to "clean room".

Are you (or is anyone else) involved enough with the Gentoo Java project
to be able to comment on whether there are plans yet for free Sun Java?
(I note the precedent of the Gentoo Free Solaris project?)  Maybe it's too
early for that since we don't know what exactly they are doing.  Sun 
/is/ asking for input from well established distributions.  I hope we're
at least working with them in that way at this point.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

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