building jdk1.4 natively on FreeBSD 5.3

[Matthew Seaman]

On Sun, Nov 21, 2004 at 07:47:00PM +0800, Ganbold wrote:

> I would like to install jdk1.4 natively on FreeBSD 5.3.
> I know there is a way to install jdk1.4 on FreeBSD using linux emulation 
> and linux procfs and I installed jdk1.4 before in such way.
> Right now I would like to install jdk1.4 natively on FreeBSD 5.3 without 
> any linux emulation.
> How can I build jdk1.4 natively? Is it possible?
> If it is not possible, is there any plan to make native port of jdk1.4 or 
> jdk1.5 soon?

In order to build JDK 1.4.2 you need a working JDK 1.4.x to compile
everything.  As things stand, that means at some point you have to use
a Linux JDK to do an initial compilation.  Once you've compiled the
JDK one time using the Linux emulation, you can discard the linux bits
and use your native JDK to compile any updates -- in fact, the
java/jdk14 port will automatically use a preexisting native JDK 1.4.x
in preference to a linux one.

You can also take an installed native JDK 1.4.2 and create a package
out of it -- read about the '-b' option in pkg_create(1), which you
can then copy onto another system and install there.  Note that you
can only do this to install a native JDK *on your own systems*.  Be
careful however, as the terms of the Sun Community Source License are
very strict about not permitting redistribution.

Making a native port requires negotiating a license with Sun before it
would be legal to distribute the port.  That means getting the port to
a state where it can formally pass Sun's compliance tests (which I
think the java/jdk14 port can do at the moment), and then getting the
lawyers to argue over the details.  All that costs money -- penny-ante
stuff for most corporations, but a significant burden for a volunteer
project like FreeBSD.  ie. Needs a donor with deep pockets.

A java/jdk15 port couldn't be created until JDK 5.0[1] was released
under the SCSL (or another more userfriendly license as is
consistently rumoured to be about to happen).  JDK 5.0 is now
available (as of this month) under the SCSL or the JRL (Java Research
License) -- so I guess there are a few FreeBSD developers busily
working on making it compile and run under FreeBSD.  That's not a
trivial task, and you'll just have to wait until they have something
in good enough shape to release.  From just a cursory reading, the JRL
seems to me to be slightly more friendly than the SCSL for individual
or academic use, and can permit redistribution in binary format given
that all users agree to abide by the terms of the JRL.

	Cheers,

	Matthew

[1] Would anyone within reach please smack Sun's marketing department
for interfering with the version numbering please?

-- 
Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil.                       26 The Paddocks
                                                      Savill Way
PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey         Marlow
Tel: +44 1628 476614                                  Bucks., SL7 1TH UK
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