I was at RMS's talk at Cali Uni where he specifically said to watch out
for Blackdown. From their webpages:
(http://www.blackdown.org/java-linux/docs/support/faq-release/FAQ-java-linux-2.html#intro-licensing)
> Under what license is Blackdown Java available?
>
> Standard disclaimer: none of this is legal advice.
>
> * You can download and use the Blackdown JDK or other products from
> any of the Blackdown mirrors.
> * You are only allowed to redistribute the JRE.
Not very open in my books.
>From what I can remember, Sun said they weren't going to support Linux
(hence the Blackdown project), then did a U-turn nicked Backdown's
codebase, tweaked it a bit and claimed it as their own. It all got sorted
out in the end, but it left a bad taste in some people's mouths.
I tried to find out about IBM, but I couldn't find their license
easily. I suspect its similar to Blackdowns.
So why bother with a Free/OpenSource JDM/JVM which isn't as good as the
existing free ones?
Well, here's are some reasons off the top of my head:
1. Free software is important. Software that you don't pay for means
nothing. There is a tonne of software out that you don't have to pay
for, but usually its a hook to reel you (or others) into a freedom
compromising position. Why else would a company give away their IP
assests (as they see it) unless there's profit in it for them.
2. Free software needs a community of developers and users. Although
there's usually some overlap, both are important. If a project lacks
either then it'll die.
3. If the software works, it works; and if it nearly works it could be
fixed. So what if some weird ecoteric feature of green threads (I
don't actually know Java, so substitute something sensible
here) doesn't work, if you don't use that feature.
4. Writing a bugreport takes time and effort. I'd be much happer
spending my time trying to get a Free program working. That way
everyone benifits.
5. Hell, you might even be able to fix whatever bugs there are in the
software yourself, post the fix to someone and have fame and fortune
for ever.
6. Free/OpenSource software has a far higher exposure during the
its-not-working phase of the software, so things can look worse,
especially if you catch it (or a reviewer catches it) at the wrong
point.
Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now :^)
Paul.
On Thu, 13 Sep 2001, Dan - Blue Lotus Software wrote:
> Just out of curiosity, why are you using Kaffe and not one of the free (as
> in beer) commercial JVMs? Is it to create an ideologically pure open source
> system? If so, then go for it. But if not, you should probably realise
> that Kaffe is an absolutely awful Java implementation. Choose IBM's or
> Sun's implementation. Blackdown has an open source one (not sure what
> license, though) that is pretty good, but not as fast or as free from bugs
> as Sun's or IBM's.
>
> -dan
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Gavin McCord
> Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 7:58 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: [scottish] Kaffe compile probs
>
>
> I'm having problems trying to compile kaffe-1.0.6, on my Slack setup
> (2.2.19 kernel, gcc-2.95.3., glibc 2.2.2) I get the following error:
>
> gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I../../../config -I../../../include -DKVER=\"1.
> 0.6\" -I/usr/local/src/kaffe-1.0.6/./kaffe/kaffevm -I/usr/local/src/kaffe-1.
> 0.6/./kaffe/kaffevm/systems/unix-jthreads -I../../../config -I../../../inclu
> de -I/usr/local/include -g
> -O2 -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -c
> System.c -Wp,-MD,.deps/System.TPlo -fPIC -DPIC -o System.lo
> System.c: In function `java_lang_System_initProperties':
> System.c:415: warning: implicit declaration of function `time'
> System.c:418: warning: implicit declaration of function `localtime'
> System.c:418: invalid type argument of `->'
> make[3]: *** [System.lo] Error 1
> make[3]: Leaving directory
> `/usr/local/src/kaffe-1.0.6/libraries/clib/native'
> make[2]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
> make[2]: Leaving directory `/usr/local/src/kaffe-1.0.6/libraries/clib'
> make[1]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
> make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/local/src/kaffe-1.0.6/libraries'
> make: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
>
>
> Any ideas?
> --
> gav
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Paul Millar yo-yo, n. :
Particle Physics Theory Group Something that is occasionally
Department of Physics and Astronomy up but normally down.
University of Glasgow, (see also Computer)
Glasgow G12 8QQ, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Scotland +44 (0)141 330 4717
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