There are a number of possible scenarios that your comments could blossom into.
Nelson Minar wrote:
Here are some ideas:
There are deeper problems lurking underneath, though, having to do
with Sun's control of Java. Sun isn't interested in the ultimate goals
of free software, and they're powerful enough to cause a lot of
trouble with Java. We play a dangerous game in the free software
world, using Java, hoping that we can trust Sun enough to not really
screw people the way Microsoft has with their control of the Win32
API. The commercial world is playing the same game, too, and it's the
root of so many of the schisms in the Java world.
1) Sun owns the Java trademark. They have published the VM spec
and
the language spec. They permit rogue ports from
the specs.
Idea: Maybe its time for another rogue port in open
source form. This one should
shoot for 1.3 from the git-go.
2) Another rogue port could be worked in under the Blackdown umbrella.
I suspect that
the Sun agreement prohibits the actual transmission
of knowledge from the people who
are the porters that have done so much for us so
far.
Idea: Couldn't the existing porters be instrumental
in validating and ratifying a
"Clean Room" rogue port of 1.3?
3) I used to set on a standards committee for telecom stuff. We
were going to move
our stuff into one of the standards bodies for standardization
and I believe that
occurred after I got a different job.
Idea: There is no reason Sun has to be involved in
the standardization of Java. Oops,
I guess it would not be called Java it would be
called something else but like ANSI C
(XJ311 wasn't it?) once the standard is defined
everyone will support the official
standard. The product would have a note that says
XK682 (or similar name) compliant.
That's why I'm glad to see a big player like IBM also enter into the4) I think IBM understands that the fast growing Linux community is the perfect
Java/Linux fray. The current ports are bound by Sun's lciense just
like the rest, but IBM has enough muscle to push back if need be.
audience for their AIX products. After all Unix to Unix is far easier between
the differences from one Unix to another versus the Unix to NT nightmare. When
we (Linux users) need some heavy Iron those high end IBM RS6000/SP boxes rock
and IBM wants the Linux community to think of them first.
Idea: While IBM is trying to actually woo the Linux
crowd Sun appears to be trying to
tick us all off! Now who is more likely to sell
big boxes to Linux users when we need them?
IBM knows....
-- Tony Dean Linux: The choice of a GNU Generation!
