Although Java is not officially free (become false on November 13rd, 2006 to see further), its license is sufficiently open to have allowed the blossoming of a great number of free tools in the most varied fields.

Discussion on the license of Java

The license of Java (Sun Community Sourced License - SCSL) allows:

• free acquisition on the site of Sun of the JRE (virtual machine accompanied by the basic libraries)

• free redistribution of the JRE if it accompanies an application written in Java

The Java license does not allow:

• the decompilation, modification of the platform Java

This license does not make it possible to regard Java technology as free. It makes it possible on the other hand to create tools, software and free libraries written in Java.

An independent organism, JCP, makes it possible to make standardize these tools, in order to unify the development effort and to help the promotion of these tools.

Many voices rise since the beginning of 2004 so that Sun releases the code of Java. The initial request comes from IBM, followed personalities of the world of the free software, like Eric Raymond.

Since March 2005, Sun introduced new licenses for Java, increasing its opening, without however becoming open-source:

• Internal Java To use License (JIUL), intended for the internal deployments

• Java License Distribution (JDL), allowing to distribute fully Java
• Java Research License (JRL), with an aim of evaluation and not-commercial use. This license also makes it possible to consult the source code of Java.

Moreover, Sun proposes to contribute to the development of the next version of Java ( Mustang ) on this page.

As indicated below, Sun should release Java during the year 2006.

The policy of Sun

The policy of Sun aims at preserving control on the evolution of Java, which explains its refusal to place the JVM and the Java compiler in open-source.

Sun placed in the past the technology Jini, based on Java, under a license that Sun claimed open-source. This however was called into question, in particular by Linus Torvalds (cf It was once Linux ).

However, after having placed NetBeans in open-source in June 2000, one witnesses an evolution of Sun, which placed elements of the Java packages in open source at the time of the conference JavaOne 2004:

• Java3D

• the extensions for JFC making it possible to define an graphical interface supplements in a file XML (XUI), JDNC (Java Desktop Network Components) and JDIC (Desktop Integration Components)
• the graphical interface in 3D for Linux Looking Glass

Generally, one can for some time note a stronger engagement of Sun towards the free software:

• Launching of a clean Linux distribution (Java Desktop System)

• OpenOffice.org
• Launching of java.net, the Community site including/understanding the Wiki Javapedia, inspired by Wikipedia.

Beginning 2005, Sun announced the creation of a new free license, called Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL). This license will be used for the publication of a great number of software, among which Solaris, in its version OpenSolaris, like Java Enterprise System and Java Desktop System. It is possible (what wants to say that was evoked) that the entirety of the software catalog of Sun is published under this license, which thus incluerait the Java platform.

In June 2005, Sun announced the launching of a open-source project to create the next version of Java System Application Server in its version intended for the developers, under the name of project GlassFish , as well as its specification of Bus integration Java, JBI.

In 2006, Sun decided to release the integrality of its development tools, including those for Java, namely Java Studio Creator and Java Studio Enterprise (NetBeans was already free).

Moreover, during its opening speech of the conference JavaOne the May 16th, the new CEO of Sun, Jonathan Schwartz, indicated that it intended to make Java free.

The November 13rd 2006, Sun puts the heart of technology Java, the JDK (the JRE - JVM and libraries - and development tools, of which the compiler javac) under license LPG version 2, as well as framework Java ME It implementation Sun de Java EE (GlassFish), already under free license CDDL is seen also adding license LPG. This change thus puts fine at the aspect owner of Java, which becomes finally a Free software.

The May 8th 2007, Sun announces that Java is from now on completely in Open Source in the OpenJDK project

Free implementations of Java

The Free Software Foundation was the first to try to create elements of a free implementation of Java, through two distinct projects:

• GNU Classpath, a free implementation of the libraries Core de Java
• GCJ, an extension of the compiler GCC allowing to compile code Java

In May 2005, the Apache foundation announced the launching of the project Harmony, aiming at creating free a Java environment complete, with compiler, JVM and Core libraries. The project aims at compatibility J2SE.

Other elements of the Java environment were implemented in a free version:

• Kaffe, a virtual machine

• Black-down, a virtual machine
• Jikes, a compiler
• Jikes RVM, a virtual machine
• SableVM, a virtual machine

Free tools Java

The free tools for Java belong primarily to 4 categories:

• Development tools

• Waiters
• complete Software Libraries

Development tools

Waiters

Libraries and frameworks

Complete software

Other tools

External bonds

• License of technology Java (on the Java.com site)
• Open letter of Eric Raymond for the release of Java
• Wiki Java on java.net
• a site which counts all the open-source projects around Java