Jean commented on David's post:
...
In order for this to work, we need Java DB to be based on an official,
"GA-ready" release of Derby to be what Sun redistributes in Mustang.
Otherwise databases created in Mustang will be "locked in" to Java DB.
The problem is that it can't *actually* be GA until after JCP approves
JSR 221, JDBC 4.0, which will happen in tandem with the GA release of
the JDK, around 5 weeks after the JDK team needs their final integration
bits from all the pieces going into it.
in other words, we have a classic catch-22. :-)
No, not at all. What happens right now is that we publish a release candidate that is available for the Derby community to test and vote on. Once the vote is complete, the release manager ties up some of the loose ends (records the vote results, pushes the bits around) and publishes the release on the Apache mirrors. Subsequently, other loose ends are tied (official announcement on Apache general email alias).
What Rick is proposing to happen is for the community to vote and subsequently tie up some loose ends (record the vote results, send the bits to the Mustang folks instead of to the Apache mirrors). Once the Mustang release is official, continue tying up loose ends (publish the release on the Apache mirrors). And more loose ends (official announcement on Apache general email alias). So the only thing that changes compared to today is the delay that Rick mentioned between community approval of the bits and posting the bits to the Apache mirrors.
I think what Rick is asking for is a release that is voted as
"GA-ready", has the GA-bit turned on, but because of JCP rules is not
actually *made* generally available until JSR 220 becomes final. Since
we all need to vet this release and approve it, it would be available to
the Derby community, but not *generally* available by distributing it on
all the Apache mirrors.
It would still be easily available. And once downloaded, and probably
redistributed further, downstream users would have no idea that they
aren't working with an official Apache release.
As I understand it, this is what happens today. Once the release candidate is announced, anyone can theoretically grab the bits and distribute them before the release is voted on and available from the mirrors. Is this considered a problem today?
What is the specific legal verbiage we're working with here?
IANAL, but the only license available right now (the license under which the community is using the bits) is an evaluation license for JSR 221, which reads, in part:
Subject to the terms and conditions of this license,
Sun hereby grants you a fully-paid, non-exclusive,
non-transferable, limited license (without the right
to sublicense) under Sun's intellectual property
rights to review the Specification only for the
purposes of evaluation.
Until Mustang goes GA, there is no redistribution license available.
Craig
-jean
I know this seems like a fine hair to split, but it's the only way we
can be successful without Sun having to do a non-upgradable fork of
Derby, which I don't think any of us want.
I hope this helps to clear things up, even if it doesn't make things
simpler :)
David
smime.p7s