Sun Recasts Java Licensing for GNU/Linux and OpenSolaris Communities

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Sun Recasts Java Licensing for GNU/Linux and OpenSolaris Communities
 Historic Collaboration Makes Java Technology Broadly Available on Leading
                           Open Source Platforms

    SAN FRANCISCO, JAVAONE(SM) CONFERENCE, May 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW), the creator and leading advocate of
Java(TM) technology, today announced that Java Platform, Standard Edition
(Java SE) 5 is now available for redistribution by GNU/Linux and
OpenSolaris(SM) operating system distributors under the new Operating
System Distributor's License for Java (also known as the "Distro License
for Java" or DLJ).
    Developed in consultation with, and for use by, the various GNU/Linux
communities, the new license allows distributors to ship Sun's Java SE 5.0
Java Development Kit (JDK(TM)) and Java Runtime Environment (JRE(TM)) as
installable packages for their operating systems.
    The open source development community is demonstrating enthusiastic
support of this announcement. Several project teams are expected to
announce plans to redistribute the JDK, packaged for use with their
operating systems, including the Ubuntu, Gentoo and Debian distributions of
GNU/Linux, NexentaOS, a hybrid operating system with an OpenSolaris kernel
and GNU applications and both the Schillix and BeleniX versions of
OpenSolaris. These popular open source distributions will help make the
Java platform a foundation of innovation for open source development.
    "This new license shows that Sun and the Java technology world care
about GNU/Linux and open source platforms and are willing to put aside
philosophical differences and get down to business," said Mark
Shuttleworth, founder and sponsor of the Ubuntu GNU/Linux distribution, the
most-downloaded GNU/Linux in the world for the last eight months. "This
eliminates one of the biggest roadblocks to wider use of the Java platform
on free and open source operating system platforms and makes Java
technology a more attractive foundation on which to build new projects and
innovations."
    "We are really pleased to see Sun's increasing involvement in the free
software community, from the opening of the Solaris(TM) Operating System
source and now the re-licensing of Java technology to be compatible with
GNU/Linux distributions, and are looking forward to building stronger ties
with the Sun community in the future", said Anthony Towns, Debian Project
Leader.
    Sun is also opening a new community project on Java.net
(https://jdk-distros.dev.java.net) to serve as a clearinghouse of
information and best practices for delivering compatibly packaged JDK
bundles on GNU/Linux and OpenSolaris.
    The DLJ leaves communities free to define the packaging, installation
and support for the JDK within their distribution, creating new
opportunities to add value for both developers and users, while maintaining
Java's "write once, run anywhere" compatibility promise. One well-known
effort to repackage Sun's JDK for GNU/Linux distributions, the Blackdown
Project (http://www.blackdown.org), has generously agreed to join the new
jdk-distros project on java.net and contribute their Debian packaging code
to this initiative.
    More info on Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com), Debian GNU/Linux
(http://www.debian.org), Gentoo Linux (http://www.gentoo.org), NexentaOS
(http://www.Nexenta.com) and OpenSolaris (http://www.openSolaris.org/os),
Schillix (http://schillix.berlios.de) and BeleniX (http://www.belenix.org).
    For more information on the DLJ please visit the jdk-distros project at
https://jdk-distros.dev.java.net.
    For more information about announcements and press activities at the
JavaOne Conference, please visit:
http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/media/presskits/javaone2006.
    About JavaOne, Sun's 2006 Worldwide Java Developer Conference
    The JavaOne Conference is one of the leading events for Java technology
developers. Established in 1996, the Conference provides Java technology
enthusiasts the opportunity to learn about the latest Java technology
innovations, get hands-on experience, network with their peers, and have
the opportunity to engage directly with industry leaders. For more
information about the JavaOne Conference, visit
http://java.sun.com/javaone/sf.
    About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    A singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer"(TM) -- guides Sun in
the development of technologies that power the world's most important
markets. Sun's philosophy of sharing innovation and building communities is
at the forefront of the next wave of computing: the Participation Age. Sun
can be found in more than 100 countries and on the Web at sun.com.
    NOTE: Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Java, JavaOne, OpenSolaris,
Solaris, JDK, JRE, and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks,
registered trademarks or service marks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the
United States and other countries.
    Contact: allpress@sun.com
              650-786-7737
SOURCE Sun Microsystems, Inc.
http://sun.com/
CONTACT:
Sun Microsystems, Inc., +1-650-786-7737, or
allpress@sun.com