IBM Offers to Help Sun Open Up Java

dave writes "ESR has opened the issue of pressuring Sun to open source Java, and today IBM throws in their own commitment toward this end. IBM has published an open letter to Sun, proposing that the two companies collaborate on an independent project to open source Java, saying that IBM is ready to provide technical resources and code for the open source Java implementation while Sun provides the open source community with Sun materials, including Java specifications, tests and code."

Not said...

[ackthpt]

Hi Rob,

[Open Source Java or you risk relegating it, while .NET on commodity hardware gobbles up both the development and hardware markets to Sun's eventual doom. Work with us and Java will be strong as many eyes and hands (ours included) clean it up and expand it where need and demand lay. Ignore this request and we'll pick it up at your bankruptcy auction.

Regards,
Rod

Does anybody

[AbbyNormal]

else keep thinking about LOTR, when they think of Sun and Java.

Sun being the Golem and Java being the "ring".

"My Precccciousssss...Myyyy Precious".

This just in...

[thepeete]

SCO has bought the rights to the J in Java and is suing IBM for trying to help making Java open source...

Whoa...

[bersl2]

Did ESR just bitch, and things actually happened?

I'm impressed; unless he has an "in," of course...

Brilliant!

[JediTrainer]

Now we can get IBM to open up Java's code like they opened SCO's!

(heavy on the sarcasm here - don't take me too seriously)

Re:ESR: not so bad after all?

[hambonewilkins]

Eric! What have you been up to?!

Sorry, forgot, I'll just check your webpage for info.

Re:Does anybody

[questionlp]

Well... Sauron, er I mean Sun, gave out rings at a previous JavaOne conference that contains a microprocessor that runs a JVM, which in turns displays a fractal image at some of the terminals.

More info on the "ring" can be found at:
http://java.sun.com/features/1998/03/rings.html [sun.com]

Re:Does anybody

[FattMattP]

Does that mean Java will be thrown to a fiery death?

Re:How nice of IBM..

[rve]

Sun were to offer to help IBM open up AIX?
They can't do that, SCO might sue!

Re:How nice of IBM..

[fantastic]

Dear IBM

Can you opensource DB2, we don't have a database at Sun so this would really help

Does SUN own Java?

[Mr Pippin]

Are we sure that Java is not a derivitive work of AT&T SYSV Unix, and thus the property of SCO?

:-|

Re:Open Source dangers...

[Anonymous Coward]

Now imagine someone hands him the source code and tells him he can fork it however it wants. What would he do?

the same thing he did with microsofts ill fated JVM, break it.

Re:Does anybody

[mcd7756]

We still has it. Our Precious is in desk drawer right here. Has eldritch writing on sides and steaming icon of power on top....

OH NO! It's not there! NASTY HOBBITSES!! They steal Precious!

Oh. Here it is under the hole punch. We puts it on and coworkers, they leaves us alone while we has sushi for lunch.

no chance, a conversation between Sun and IBM

[iradik]

this is utterly ridiculous and interesting, but it's not in sun's blood. Sun: "why the hell should we give up control; we made java!" IBM: "look, if Java was open-source, more people would use it, and you are after all a services/hardware co." Sun: "Why don't you pay us for open-sourcing it?" IBM: "ehm, because..." Sun: "aha!" IBM: "Because we've just decided we're just going to buy your company for 50 billion" Sun: "REALLY??? YES!" IBM: "Um, we were just kidding. You guys suck. You have no idea what you are doing. Just Look at your Gnome situation for god sakes!" Sun: "Hey! We're planning on assassinating Miguel when he crosses the border." IBM: "It's not the 80s anymore, what the hell is wrong with you? This conversation is over!" Sun: Oh like you are so good, you know you are going to turn on everyone once you've assimilated all that can be comoditized and globalized. At least we're not freaking evil!"

Like Fidel?

[ClosedSource]

This offer reminds me of Fidel Castro's hilarious offer to the US to send election observers to Florida in light of the 2000 presidential election SNAFU.

Re:How nice of IBM..

[Anonymous Coward]

Dear IBM,

Could you please open source PowerPC and all your patterns, and to keep the OpenSource spirit, all your mainframe?

Re:How nice of IBM..

[John Courtland]

Bah, swing sucks anyway ;)

Re:Doubtful...

[Anonymous Coward]

I guess we all have a cold...

Re:A Question

[grigori]

They do a great job of appearing to be 'good guys'. They are all in favor of other companies open sourcing THEIR crown jewels, but you never see IBM open sourcing any if their own money makers. Lets see:
MVS == OS/390 == z/OS. Closed
OS400. Closed.
all their C, C++, Fortran compilers and libraries. Closed.
CICS. Closed.
IMS. Closed.
SNA stack. Closed.
DB2. Closed.
Informix. Closed.
WebSphere (their big new $ queen). Closed.
Poor old OS2, even. Closed.

When I say closed, I mean even their customers and IBMers in the field can't get source code. How open is that?

See a trend? If it belongs to somebody else, or if it's marginal to their real product lines, they are happy to open source. IBM says: Hey Sun, open source the Java you invented. I say 'You first, IBM'