IcedTea

IcedTea is a project initiated by the Linux distributor Red Hat community project for the development of free Java platform software.

The project (s) working on the following products:

Since Sun's browser engine and Web Start solution despite repeated promises further disclosure are proprietary, they are the only of its kind free dar.

History, merits

The project was officially launched in June 2007. The original goal was to produce an executable completely free version of OpenJDK, which does even at their own creation without the help of proprietary software. This was necessary because the rights to some code parts were not entirely owned by the original manufacturer Sun Microsystems and therefore some parts were present only in compiled form and had to be replaced in order to obtain a completely free version. For this purpose a OpenJDK version was created in a separate development branch, which was completed with code from the GNU Classpath project ( free implementation of the standard class libraries), where in Sun's code proprietary remaining ingredients had left gaps that were not yet filled, and can be created using the GNU compiler for Java ( GCJ ) (- then even with the self-built this official Java compiler javac ). The venture was successful; in November 2007 could IcedTea packages are included in Fedora 8.

With the signing of the Sun Contributor Agreement and the OpenJDK Community TCK License on November 5, 2007 Red Hat, the IcedTea project can now contribute to the official branch of OpenJDK.

After the first implementation of the Java SE 7 has been implemented by IcedTea, came in April 2008, a variant called icedtea6 for version 6 of the Java SE added.

After the packages created by IcedTea pass the official tests from Sun's Technology Compatibility Kit ( TCK, specifically the Java Compatibility Kit, JCK ) in June 2008, they are now allowed to wear the protected name OpenJDK and run the " Java Compatible" logo.

In Ubuntu 8.04 ( released April 24, 2008 ) and Fedora 9 (13 May 2008) was included based on OpenJDK icedtea6 first time.

With version b10 of openjdk6 (March 2008) and version b53 of OpenJDK7 (April 2009) could now also the official branch replace all the (relevant) remains proprietary.