getting to 5.x binary packages

[Sander Vesik]

[first off, sorry for the duplicate post - some initial gmail confusion]

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 20:28:53 +0100, Matthew Seaman
<m.seaman at infracaninophile.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> 
> On Wed, Oct 13, 2004 at 09:59:25PM +0300, Sander Vesik wrote:
> > Ok, this is a sort of 'getting from A to B' question, except that I
> > dont presently have a good idea as to where 'A' is precicely ;-)
> >
> > It would be nice to have binary packages of jdk 1.4 (or 1.5 i guess,
> > but anyways) so that it could be a simple download and hopefully ship
> > with one of the 5.x releases. So could anybody tell me if  :
> >
> >    * there is a plan (or how to get to one existing)
> >    * what the plan is
> >    *  what other java related plans are in FreeBSD
> >    * if thereare obvious concrete ways somebody could help
> >    * what these ways would be
> >
> > I can promise to make a patches to the existing web pages @
> > http://www.freebsd.org/java/howhelp.html  about the state if
> > somebody explains it ...
> 
> The problem with providing a binary distribution is not technical, but
> legal.  If you download and build the JDK from source you have to
> agree to abide by the terms of the Sun Community Source License:

Yes, I know of the legal aspect of what must happen before jdk binaries 
can be redistibuted. 

> 
>     http://wwws.sun.com/software/communitysource/j2se/java2/license.html
> 
> Which says it's OK to use freely for Research and for Internal
> Deployment.  Commercial use and permission to redistribute are a very
> different matter.  You can use the java/jdk14 port to build a FreeBSD
> package for your own use, but you cannot give it away outside your own
> organization.
> 

Which for many uses and ease of use, really sucks.

> In order for the FreeBSD Foundation to be licensed to distribute a
> pre-compiled J2SE 1.4.2 JDK or JRE freely the FreeBSD port would first
> have to pass Sun's compliance testing -- I believe that it has been
> stated that the jdk-1.4.2 port would pass in it's current state
> without any trouble at all -- but it takes money to get everything
> formally tested, and then the licensing terms have to be negotiated,
> again requiring some expenditure on lawyers etc.  For most
> corporations I don't think the costs would be particularly onerous.
> For an all volunteer project like FreeBSD they're right out of the
> question unless a generous donor can be found.
> 

My impression was that the existing 4.x package was made under the 
"special" scholarship TCK licence that Sun provides for free to non- profits 
(or at least allows them to apply for such) and that similar might supposedly 
be obtained for making newer Java binary packages for 5.x. Am I mistaken? 

>         Cheers,
> 
>         Matthew
> 
> --
> 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
>