Java will go open source

At the ongoing JavaOne 2006 conference, Sun openly backed the idea of open-source Java. Asked about it, Rich Green replied, “Why not?” Small hints about open-source Java had been appearing for some time. There was even speculation that Sun might release Java as open source at this year's JavaOne. After a long period of hesitation and an earlier refusal, Green's remarks mark a step toward meeting the wishes of part of the community and partners, especially IBM, who have called for it for years.

Perhaps the only thing clear about open-source Java is that it is going to happen. Nobody today can say whether it will take one year, two or five. What will open-source Java look like? How will development be managed and coordinated? What exactly will Sun release? These are just a few of the questions we cannot answer.

It is Sun's move again, and the heaviest burden still rests on its shoulders. Java today is more than the platform's source code. The open-source process is about more than simply releasing that code. In its years developing Java, Sun has surely acquired other know-how that it cannot release for various reasons, such as patents or the need to protect its own investment in research and development.

The biggest questions, or problems if you are an open-source pessimist, concern Java's compatibility and the management and coordination of development. Java has strictly pursued backward compatibility and taken a conservative approach so far. How will it cope in an open-source setting? Sun has held the reins of development firmly, and that will change after Java goes open source. Java could easily split into several branches, which might spell its end.

Discussions about Java's future development keep circling back to whether to use the existing Java Community Process (JCP), which some find rather rigid. It is encouraging that Sun understands the risks of open-source Java and is in no hurry to release it. An ill-considered move without clear rules for the platform's future could lead to chaos, with very likely harmful consequences.

Supporters of open-source Java are already rubbing their hands at the prospect of patching things Sun left alone. Opponents fear the incompatibility and chaos the move might bring. It is hard to say who will be right. One thing is certain, though. Open-source Java is a reality.