Summary
The GNU Classpath project released the 0.93 version of its Java API implementation, claiming 99.95% API coverage for J2SE 1.4, and 95.5% coverage for SE 1.5. In the release notes, the Classpath project also posted its view on Sun's open-source JDK, and how GNU Classpath and Sun's OpenJDK project will likely work together.
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The story of the GNU Classpath project goes back almost a decade, with the goal of providing a clean-room implementation of the JDK class libraries, and releasing that implementation under the GNU Public License. That was an especially important goal in order to enable Linux distributions to include a GNU-compatible Java implementation, since Sun's Java licensing did not permit that open distribution model.
In its long history, the Classpath project has provided a near drop-in replacement to Sun's JDK, with the most recent 0.93 release providing 99.95% coverage of JDK 1.4's class libraries, and 95.5% coverage of JDK 1.5's. New features in the recent release include:
NIO Selector epoll (linux 2.6 kernel) and kio (BSD and Darwin) notification mechanisms added.
Fast, direct call, support for in runtime CORBA objects.
Support for user JNDI context factories (plus corbaname: and rmi: jndi urls).
New javah tool included.
JSSE SSLEngine support including TLSv1.1 and pre-shared key ciphersuites.
Full lang.management MX Beans ManagementFactory implementation.
Much better swing HTML support (aka JGecko).
Graphics2D on cairo speedups ... it respects interpolation hints, better gradient support and custom Composites and Paints.
The 0.93 release notes elaborate on how GNU Classpath might work with the Sun-initiated OpenJDK project:
Not all code has been released by Sun, in particular the core class libraries will not be released till somewhere next year. And some parts might be encumbered preventing Sun from releasing those parts. We will try and help plug any holes left.
It is too early to claim we already know how our communities will interact and work together. But the general feeling is positive. Sun has been very open, clear and cooperative about OpenJDK and letting the GNU Classpath community know about their plans and willingness to work with the existing free software communities.
The GNU Classpath community is happy with this development and although it is too early to see what the future might bring we know we have the following commitments to our developers, users, projects and GNU/Linux distros depending on our work:
We will not regress on freedom. For anything Sun cannot release (now) under the GPL we will provide free replacements
We will not regress on coverage. The platforms, architectures, projects and programs that run now with GNU Classpath should run in the future
We will not regress on having fun, innovating and hacking together!
What do you think of the Classpath's project's raison d'être now that Sun has decided to release its implementation of the JDK class libraries under the GNU license?
I think the open source guys know how to handle complexity better than the commercial companies. :-)
These days I have been testing JRuby along with other Java libraries, and the open source libraries seem to be improving in their quality with time, and the open source Java can only make things better.
For example, even though "Maven" might not be perfect, it was impressive for me who had not used it before yesterday.
Until the corporate world maintains the main control of Java, I think the open source core Java libraries will continue to be developed.
Meanwhile, here's hoping that Sun and everybody will put more resources to the JRuby project, which is one way the corporate world can help to simplify development a great deal. Please? :-)
I guess part of the focus in the future will be on a) providing whatever parts end up being encumbered in Sun's implementation and b) helping the few dozen different VMs using GNU Classpath gradually migrate to a shared code base with OpenJDK.
I would just hope that neither camp adopts a "Not Invented Here" mentality. Both sides are making noises that I like in that respect. I would think the best thing for the community would be to compare both implementations side by side and let that inform what should go into the OpenJDK trunk.
I don't really see the "value proposition" in us continuing to have two GPL-licensed java implementations. Wonder-twin powers, activate! When combined, I think we can have a better platform than either is on its own. Two competing implementations sort of runs against the grain of java portability. (Are you listening, JRockit?)
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