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diff --git a/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/sun-in-night-time.html b/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/sun-in-night-time.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..77b999b --- /dev/null +++ b/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/sun-in-night-time.html @@ -0,0 +1,152 @@ +<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" --> +<!-- Parent-Version: 1.77 --> + +<title>The Curious Incident of Sun in the Night-Time - GNU Project - Free +Software Foundation</title> + +<!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/sun-in-night-time.translist" --> +<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" --> + +<h2>The Curious Incident of Sun in the Night-Time</h2> + +<p><i>We leave this web page in place for the sake of history, +but as of December 2006, Sun is in the middle of <a +href="http://www.fsf.org/news/fsf-welcomes-gpl-java.html">rereleasing +its Java platform under the GNU GPL</a>. When this license change is +completed, we expect Sun's Java will be free software.</i></p> + + <p> + by <a href="http://www.stallman.org/">Richard M. Stallman</a><br /> + May 24, 2006. + </p> + + <p> + Our community has been abuzz with the rumor that Sun has made + its implementation Java free software (or “open + source”). Community leaders even publicly thanked Sun + for its contribution. What is Sun's new contribution to the + FLOSS community? + </p> + + <p> + Nothing. Absolutely nothing—and that's what makes the + response to this non-incident so curious. + </p> + + <p> + Sun's Java implementation remains proprietary software, just + as before. It doesn't come close to meeting the criteria for + <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free software</a>, or the + similar but slightly looser criteria for open source. Its + source code is available only under an NDA. + </p> + + <p> + So what did Sun actually do? It allowed more convenient + redistribution of the binaries of its Java platform. With + this change, GNU/Linux distros can include the nonfree Sun + Java platform, just as some now include the nonfree nVidia + driver. But they do so only at the cost of being nonfree. + </p> + + <p> + The Sun license has one restriction that may ironically + reduce the tendency for users to accept nonfree software + without thinking twice: it insists that the operating system + distributor get the user's explicit agreement to the license + before letting the user install the code. This means the + system cannot silently install Sun's Java platform without + warning users they have nonfree software, as some GNU/Linux + systems silently install the nVidia driver. + </p> + + <p> + If you look closely at Sun's announcement, you will see that + it accurately represents these facts. It does not say that + Sun's Java platform is free software, or even open source. It + only predicts that the platform will be “widely + available” on “leading open source + platforms”. Available, that is, as proprietary + software, on terms that deny your freedom. + </p> + + <p> + Why did this non-incident generate a large and confused + reaction? Perhaps because people do not read these + announcements carefully. Ever since the term “open + source” was coined, we have seen companies find ways to + use it and their product name in the same sentence. (They + don't seem to do this with “free software”, + though they could if they wanted to.) The careless reader + may note the two terms in proximity and falsely assume that + one talks about the other. + </p> + + <p> + Some believe that this non-incident represents Sun's + exploratory steps towards eventually releasing its Java + platform as free software. Let's hope Sun does that some + day. We would welcome that, but we should save our + appreciation for the day that actually occurs. In the mean + time, the <a href="/philosophy/java-trap.html">Java Trap</a> + still lies in wait for the work of programmers who don't take + precautions to avoid it. + </p> + + <p> + We in the GNU Project continue developing the + <a href="http://gcc.gnu.org/java/">GNU Compiler for Java and + GNU Classpath</a>; we made great progress in the past year, + so our free platform for Java is included in many major + GNU/Linux distros. If you want to run Java and have freedom, + please join in and help. + </p> + +</div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above --> +<!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" --> + +<div id="footer"> +<div class="unprintable"> + +<p>Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to +<a href="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><gnu@gnu.org></a>. +There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a> +the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent +to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>.</p> + +<p><!-- TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph, + replace it with the translation of these two: + + We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality + translations. However, we are not exempt from imperfection. + Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard + to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org"> + <web-translators@gnu.org></a>.</p> + + <p>For information on coordinating and submitting translations of + our web pages, see <a + href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations + README</a>. --> +Please see the <a +href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations +README</a> for information on coordinating and submitting translations +of this article.</p> +</div> + +<p>Copyright © 2006 Richard M. Stallman</p> + +<p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license" +href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/">Creative +Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License</a>.</p> + +<!--#include virtual="/server/bottom-notes.html" --> + +<p class="unprintable">Updated: +<!-- timestamp start --> +$Date: 2014/04/12 12:40:47 $ +<!-- timestamp end --> +</p> +</div> +</div> +</body> +</html> |