COMMUNITY Brave GNU World The Monthly GNU Column Brave GNU World elcome to another issue of the This column explores the world of free software Brave GNU World. The focus Wthis month is Java; we will from the perspective of the GNU Project and the FSF. look at the subject of freedom and, more specifically, at the efforts to establish a In this issue, we focus on:The Java Trap, GNU Classpath, development in Java, free Java infrastructure. and news from the FSFE. BY GEORG C.F. GREVE Freedom in Chains? To judge from the number of email mes- sages I received from irate readers in only work with non-free implementa- have placed even more emphasis on free response to my discussion of the tions. Java implementations. Mindmapping Software Freemind, I Also, as the Debian project discovered, seem to have trodden on a few people’s there are legal issues [6]: Sun’s Java JRE GNU Classpath toes. The reason for the flames was a license does not allow the environment GNU Classpath [7] was launched in statement that Freemind, like many to be distributed with alternatives – in 1998, a GNU project to promote the other programs, is thoughtlessly based other words, it actively restricts the prop- development of free Java core libraries on a non-free Java implementation, agation of free Java. As a consequence, for use with virtual machines and com- which endangers the freedom of the soft- any software that needs the Sun JRE pilers. The project was launched by ware. effectively blocks the development of Geoff Berry, Jim Blair, Brian Jones, Paul Many of the responses said something alternatives. Fisher, Aaron Renn, and John Keiser like, “Java is not free, but it’s not entirely with development focusing on Japhar, non-free.” Of course, freedom comes in Escaping the Java Trap although the intention was clear from lots of different flavors, but the Java To escape from the Java Trap, program- the outset that GNU Classpath should be implementations by Sun and IBM are mers need to base their development available for other runtime environ- unquestionably non-free based on the work on free Java implementations. ments. accepted definition of free software. Developers need to be more cautious as In 2000, GNU Classpath joined forces The existence of free libraries for these to how they use the Java language. with the Libgcj project, which had been implementations and environments does The only permanent solution would be working on the GNU Java Compiler class not change the situation in the least. for Sun either to extend the free Java library from the GNU Compiler Collec- Being able to wiggle your fingers is not implementation to match generally tion. This merger doubled the number of going to break the chains around your accepted standards, or to change their active developers. feet. licensing policy. Unfortunately, Sun A steadily increasing number of run- As is so often the case, Richard Stall- recently refused to do this. Sun’s actions time environments started using GNU man explains this really well Classpath in 2001 and 2002 – in his article “Free But Shack- mostly in research but also in led – The Java Trap” [5]. production. According to Stallman, the More than 20 environ- “Java Trap” always snaps shut ments now support GNU when you start thinking that Classpath – from the Kaffe proprietary implementations JVM (shown with Eclipse in are “free enough” or “no Figure 1) to IKVM.Net, a Java problem.” and .NET interoperability toolkit from the Mono pro- In the Java Trap ject. Many distributors are in the GNU Classpath is released process of tackling this issue under the General Public right now, and some manu- License (GPL), however, facturers are even considering there is a proviso to ensure removing free Java implemen- that the license does not tations from their CDs, as cover Java programs that use much of the software will Figure 1: Eclipse running with the Kaffe JVM. GNU Classpath. This proviso 92 February 2005 www.linux-magazine.com Brave GNU World COMMUNITY implementations in the German legal system, the FSFE as a de-facto basis applied for a position as a WIPO for our own pro- observer last year. jects, applications, The member states agreed to accept and distributions. FSFE ‘s application for observer status at Free Java is the the last WIPO [13] meeting, allowing the only way for Java FSFE to send its own delegation to WIPO developers, users, meetings. This is a good time for the and distributors to decision, as there is growing concern steer clear of the about the role of WIPO with respect to Java Trap. repressive legislation and its effects. Based on a proposal by the FSFE, News from a wide coalition of individuals and or- Figure 2: GNU Classpath is accepted by many other projects. the FSFE ganizations now support the widely The Free Software acclaimed Geneva Declaration, which gives developers the freedom to release Foundation of Europe (FSFE) [10] has demands a reorientation towards a programs developed with Classpath been growing. Three new organizations “World Intellectual Wealth Organi- under a license of their own choice. have officially become affiliated organi- zation” [14]. If you are interested in keeping abreast zations of FSFE – Wilhelmtux in That just about sums up the FSFE’s with GNU Classpath developments, the Switzerland, Fundacion Via Libre in current activities – check out the FSFE web page at [9] offers daily updates Argentina, and Vrijschrift.org in the website for more details. The site now on work relating to the GNU Classpath Netherlands. FSFE now has a total of has RSS newsfeeds and a monthly project. eleven partner organizations in ten coun- newsletter [15]. I tries. Developing in Java The FSFE does not focus exclusively INFO Now that a free software basis for Java on Europe; instead it is part of a global [1] Send ideas,comments,and questions to has been established, there are no more network of organizations. Thinking alike Brave GNU World: excuses for writing programs that require is more important than geographical [email protected] proprietary implementations such as the proximity. The FSFE is an unusual orga- [2] GNU project homepage: Sun JRE. And it will be even easier to nization that does not easily fit in with http://www.gnu.org/ write completely free Java-based soft- established schemes. This is why the [3] Georg’s Brave GNU World homepage: ware in the future. FSFE released a self-conception docu- http://brave-gnu-world.org Apart from technical considerations, ment [12] in August 2004 to describe [4] “We run GNU”Initiative:http://www.gnu. there are no general arguments against how it sees itself. org/brave-gnu-world/rungnu/rungnu.en. the use of Java. Future concerns are The FSFE has also been working with html more likely to be focused on removing the European Commission, explaining [5] Article:“Free But Shackled – The Java dependencies from existing projects; this the dangers of Microsoft and Time- Trap”http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/ java-trap.html is something that becomes more and Warner taking over DRM specialists [6] Debian GNU/Linux Java FAQ – Chapter 5: more difficult as the project grows. If the Content-Guard and defending the free- http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/ projects include functions for which a dom of the Samba project at the debian-java-faq/ch5.html free counterpart is not available, the European Court. [7] GNU Classpath:http://www.gnu.org/ developers have two options: they either At the same time, the FSFE continues software/classpath/ need to implement the function differ- to work at the United Nations level. [8] Kaffe JVM:http://www.kaffe.org ently, or they can add the function to Recent efforts have focused on the World [9] Daily updates for GNU Classpath devel- GNU Classpath. Intellectual Property Organization opers:http://planet.classpath.org/ Because Sun has apparently decided (WIPO). Within the context of WIPO, [10]Free Software Foundation Europe: that the freedom of Java developers and many contracts and global views have http://www.germany.fsfeurope.org users is not important, it is up the Java arisen that could affect today’s free soft- [11] FSFE on software patents:http://www. community of developers, users, and dis- ware environment. WIPO has influenced germany.fsfeurope.org/projects/swpat/ tributors to take action. A common the debate on software patents and is the [12] FSFE Self-Conception Statement: theme in business is “Your brand is not origin of the Digital Millennium Copy- http://www.germany.fsfeurope.org/ what you say it is, it is what others say it right Act (DMCA) in the USA, as well as about/self-conception.en.html is.” If we apply this axiom to Java, Java the European Copyright Directive [13] FSFE WIPO project:http://www.germany. fsfeurope.org/projects/wipo/ is not what Sun says it is, it is what the (EUCD) in the EU. [14] WIWO declaration:http://www.germany. community of developers says it is. It’s Instead of trying to clean up after the fsfeurope.org/documents/wiwo.en.html time to stop waiting for a third party to event, which is what the www. [15] FSFE newsletter:http://www.germany. give us freedom. The free software com- privatkopie.net initiative is attempting to fsfeurope.org/news/newsletter.en.html munity should establish free Java do with respect to the EUCD ratification www.linux-magazine.com February 2005 93.