Sun Open Sources Java Platform Implementations

Open-Source Java Project Overview
The Java community comprises many communities that have, for over 10 years now, built a large and vibrant market around the Java platform, innovating with Java technology through both closed and open source development models.
Sun is now seeding open-source communities around its implementations of the Java platform. The company is releasing the code under an open-source license, and putting in place the infrastructure for a community to collaborate on a source-code commons.
Sun believes that open source developers gain greater freedom and customers gain more control over the rapidly developing technology they use. Sun recognizes that open source requires freedom for developers, and recognizes that the strength of Java technology is its promise of compatibility.
Code
The Java platform consists of three flavors: Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE); Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME); and Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE).
The components of the Java SE implementation that Sun is releasing initially are the Java programming-language compiler (javac) and the Java HotSpot virtual machine. In 2007, Sun will release all unencumbered source-code modules of JDK 6 and JDK 7, along with full build scripts; a few encumbered modules will be released as binary plugins. The code will be available under the GPL v2 license plus the ClassPath Exception.
The Java ME platform components for release in the Mobile & Embedded community include the Java ME implementations, as well as compatibility and quality-testing tool frameworks. The initial release features a buildable phone implementation targeting mass-market handsets and the Java ME Technology Compatibility Kit (TCK) framework, the foundation to build Java ME compatibility tests. Later releases will include the advanced OS handset implementation and the Java Device Test (JDT) Framework, the foundation for quality and functional tests. Sun will make its Java ME implementations and frameworks available to the community; the source code will be available under the GPL v2 license.
The Java EE platform components were open sourced in June 2005 and since then have been under development in the GlassFish community with contributions from Sun, Oracle, TmaxSoft, and others. The community delivered the final implementation of the Java EE 5 platform in May 2006 and is working on the second release. The production-quality implementations are used in many products. The code is available today under the Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL); it will soon also be available under the GPL v2 license plus the ClassPath Exception.

Community
Open Source Java technology also has meeting places for a community development efforts, where developers can collaborate on developing and improving the technology. The collaboration infrastructure will be hosted on java.net. Sun expects to help provide community-enabling tools and to document processes to facilitate open collaboration.
The role of the Java Community Process (JCP) will not change. It will continue to govern specifications, from Java Specification Request (JSR) submissions to public reviews to final approvals.
Looking Forward
Over time, as Sun works through the required diligence, it will make all of its implementations of the Java platform available through this project, and it will further develop the community infrastructure, including project governance.