alternative to java

Tue Mar 30 11:17:12 UTC 2004

On Tue, Mar 30, 2004 at 12:10:53PM +0200, Patrick Ohnewein wrote:
> julien at apo33.org schrieb:

> >I would like to know if there's some GPL's alternative to java.
> >We work with french university and they wan to develop a software under 
> >java but we have this problem that java is not GPL, is there nice 
> >equivalent to java??

Patrik has done a nice answer, let me add some hints to it.

> You have to distinguish between Java and the Java VM. Java is an object 
> oriented language and has no licence attached. 
> Ok the term Java is a trademark, but that's just a name.

Still Suns uses other measures to control the language.
An indication is the disturbing answer from the Debian Java FAQ:
http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-java-faq/ch5.html#s-license-concerns
	5.3.1.5 Why is (some) free software not implementing Java2?

	Sun has made public statements in connection with their
	legal strategy in the Sun-Microsoft lawsuit that indicate that the
	company considers the published specifications of Java2 to be
	intellectual property that can not legally be used by persons
	involved in efforts to create Java2 clean-room implementations. For
	this reason, some open source projects have decided to not implement
	Java2 any time soon. One example is Kaffe. Some projects (like the
	Japhar/Classpath project) have decided to challenge Sun's legal
	position and are going ahead with Java2.

The bad "IP" word actually translates to "software patents",
"copyrights" with Digital Restriction Management and Trademarks.

> So your problems are Sun's implementations of the Java VM and the Java 
> libraries.

In face of the problem above, it is a second order problem.

> For these problems the Free Software community is working hard to 
> provide free implementations of the VM and the libraries.

Unless 
	a) Sun opens up the specification to Java and its process	
	b) Complete competitive Free Software toolchains for Java 
	get available

I recommend to avoid Java if possible.

There are nice Free Software Alternatives,
I suggest Python:  www.python.org

	Bernhard

> An interesting document is the Debian GNU/Linux Java FAQ:
> http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-java-faq/
> 
> Some time ago I startet a progect to collect information and maybe 
> create a Free Java Environment. You can find an initial draft of my 
> document hier:
> http://www.jugbz.org/free-java.html
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