14 DAY TRIAL // The Java Development Kit (JDK) is probably the most widely used Java SDK (Software Development Kit). Sun Microsystems announces the open source of JDK for the Java Platform Standard Edition(Java SE) and they will also make available the Test Compatibility Kit associated with OpenJDK. While JDK was made available under the GNU GPL version two, TDK comes with some restrictions, which do not allow organizations such as Apache Software Foundation to ship versions of their products, especially Harmony, with Sun technology incorporated.
"Less than one year after we announced our intent to release Java technology as open-source software under GPL v2, we have achieved our goal", Rich Green, Sun's executive vice president of software said.
Green also said that some TDK issued were being worked out and that Apache can ship its new Harmony, in spite of the statements made by Apache officials, who claim that the TDK restrictions actually go against the Apache Software license. The OpenJDK is aimed to create a bound between Sun and the Java developers communities, and to bring improvements and new features in the future Java technology.
The OpenJDK project made available all the unencumbered source code for Sun's future implementation of Java SE 7, and the binary plugs for the remaining instances of encumbered code. Sun officials also announced their intention of setting up a JDK Interim Governance Board that should represent the OpenJDK community. Within the next years, the board members will be elected from the OpenJDK community developers. The source code made open by Sun is said to be now sufficient for running with Linux distributions.
"The whole stack is open source from top to bottom. And it's backed by Sun. Governments, like Brazil, are demanding this kind of network enterprise stack that is totally compatible with Linux" ,Rich Sands, community marketing manager for OpenJDK community, said.