Java Fair Game, Millennium Bug, Open Source DNA
The top story today was the court decision in Oracle vs Google for copyright infringement. Everyone is celebrating but Oracle. In other news Phoronix.com reported today that Linus is questioning the benefits of new Y2038 patches and Bryan Lunduke said that Open Source has been in our DNA since cave painting days. The Open Source Initiative released an Open Source License API and The Document Foundation posted a video explaining The Document Liberation Project.
Google's victory in court was the top news on just about every website today. Oracle sued Google for their Java implementation primarily in Android, but the decision today has farther reaching implications. Google emerge victorious but exited the courthouse under threat of further appeals. Nevertheless, developers and Open Source advocates all over were blogging their approval today following the news. Unless struck down later, this clears the way for Java development as fair use. The EFF said the victory was bittersweet as the initial decision was "the correct one" when the presiding judge said the source in question wasn't "copyrightable." Further, EFF reported that Oracle has decided to appeal, so it may not be quite over yet.
Bryan Lunduke posted an "infographic" today proving that Open Source is in our DNA. The time line begins in 4500 B.C. with the first cave drawings and included such events as smoke signals in 900 B.C and the invention of the printing press in 1440. Univac A-2 system was the first Open Source software way back in 1953 and mail came along in 1972. SUSE said, "Embedded into the very fabric of humanity, the principals of open source will continue to guide the way mankind approaches and solves its toughest challenges." And open source will lead us into the future, they added.
The Open Source Initiative today announced their Open Source License API. It's a collection of tools that allows computers and programs to search Open Source license databases and lists. This will help developers choose and comply with the various licenses available and in common usage. I better let them explain it:
The concept behind this API is to be a "hub" to store a central list of crosswalks and common identifiers to other services, allowing third parties who are already license-aware to provide their mappings, and pull OSI approval status programatically. As a proof of concept, SPDX identifiers have been added, trivially allowing cross-walks to SPDX datasets. This allows anyone to take an SPDX license ID, and determine if it's OSI approved by asking the OSI API.
Linus Torvalds sent back a batch of Y2038 fixes because he said he didn't see the point. "The more I look at this, the less I like it." He added that not only is it pointless but it "paves the way for other pointless one-liner patches." He suggested fixing the problem correctly and all in one swoop. Neowin.net has more on the back-story.
Mike Saunders posted a video earlier in the week titled: : The Document Liberation Project: What we do. So be sure to check that out.