November saw Apple and Oracle confirm the loss of built-in Java in future Macs in favor of a jointly developed open source Java implementation, to be maintained by the OpenJDK project. Now the first code under the deal has landed.
At the time, Apple was also delighted…
“The availability of Java on Mac OS X plays a key role in the cross-platform promise of the Java platform. The Java developer community can rest assured that the leading edge Java environment will continue to be available on Mac OS X in the future. Combined with last month’s announcement of IBM joining the OpenJDK, the project now has the backing of three of the biggest names in software.”
Now significant progress is being seen. The “Mac OS X Port Project” was announced earlier this week. It aims to produce an open source version of the JDK 7 (Java Development Kit) for Mac OS X. The initial code is based on the BSD port and is said to provide the same functions.
The Project is sponsored by the Porters Group,
The project web site also includes a Wiki and allows users to register for a mailing list. You can also find the latest news on the project’s status web page.
- Pass all appropriate certification tests for Java SE 7
- Include a complete, native Cocoa-based UI Toolkit
- Provide excellent performance
