Does Java need a "Linux moment"?
dotneverland.blogspot.com
dotneverland.blogspot.com
GNU is the real project to talk about here. It was started in the mid 1980s in response to proprietary Unix tools. It was created for the explicit purpose of freeing users from AT&T's licensing restrictions.
Linux was started in 1991 as a side project, not from any ideological reason and not to be "big and professional like gnu"[1]. Although the source was always available, it was not until a year later that it was GPL licensed and became what RMS would call "free software".
Not trying to be a RMS fanboi here, obviously both pieces of software have evolved into something very different in the past 19+ years. However, the root "moment" was the reason for GNU, not for Linux.
Yes, people should credit GNU, not 'Linux' for replacing Unix. But those of us that understand the difference know the author is talking about GNU, and those that don't think Linux is GNU anyway.
I know, I use that shorthand myself. But only one of the components you mention (GNU) was created for the explicit reason that the article describes.
those of us that understand the difference know the author is talking about GNU
I'm not sure even the author actually realises he was talking about GNU. The "Linux or GNU/Linux (sorry Richard Stallman)" quote gave me the impression that he has heard of RMS's pedantry about the term GNU/Linux, but he doesn't understand why RMS is pedantic about it, or any of the other relevant history.
and those that don't think Linux is GNU anyway.
... which would seem to justify the comment, in itself. :)
BTW, _Why_ does this have more upvotes than WildUtah's comment?!? Their comment is far more to the point than my one.
Oracle claims that they own the copyright on Java API, including clean-room reimplementations of the Java API. It's a novel legal theory that didn't work for IBM or AT&T so we'll have to wait and see what happens.
Oracle also has patents that pretty much prohibit anyone from writing any kind of JIT VM. That's just one more pathology of a system that allows software patents at all. It's literally illegal today to write any kind of software in the USA because of the breathtaking quantity of basic techniques patented long after their first use by our broken patent office. Oracle is just the one seeking to enforce that prohibition today.
That's the biggest issue I see with this suit, so they want to own the language and syntax, whatever. But if I have a language X lets call it D# and I want to build a vm for it, I can't because of those patents? It's not like VMs and JIT are new, I'm sure someone was doing it before Sun.
The issue isn't the VM, or the compilers or anything like that (which exist and _are_ open source) or the standard libraries (which IIRC are also open source as much as is possible), it's the patent portfolio and the JCK and JCP. If someone wants to fork Java, they'll have to replace the JCK to get any sort of traction.
Hackers enjoy hacking on software, not fixing compatibility test suites and setting up standards bodies. Java's dead, and it's because it's gotten to the point where it really, really needs a large player behind it, paying for lawyers and politicians (more lawyers).
It's not hard to guess that we'll see a rapid decline in interest for creating and maintaining Java libraries now that Java is owned by someone who totally don't get the Java community.
Java cant have a bright future within Ellison's hands, who is only trying to beat Google by buying up revenue streams: Market cap Oracle: $144.28 Billion Market cap Google: $196.24 Billion
There is also news that Oracle might be invloved in large scale fraud: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870357810457539...
Keep your head up Java, you'll never walk alone..
Has somebody been gaming HN to get insubstantial and uninformed pithy blog posts like this on the front page?