Free Java implementations are software projects that implement Oracle's Java technologies and are distributed under free software licences, thus making them free software. Sun released most of its Java source code as free software in May 2007, so it can now almost be considered a free Java implementation.
Java implementations include compilers, runtimes, class libraries, etc.
Advocates of free and open source software refer to free or open source Java virtual machine software as free runtimes or free Java runtimes.
Some advocates in this movement prefer not to use the term "Java" as it has trademark issues associated with it. Hence, even though it is a "free Java movement", the term "free Java runtimes" is avoided by them.
Read more about Free Java Implementations: Mid-90s To 2006, Sun's November 2006 Announcement, After The May 2007 Code Release
Famous quotes containing the word free:
“The modern picture of The Artist began to form: The poor, but free spirit, plebeian but aspiring only to be classless, to cut himself forever free from the bonds of the greedy bourgeoisie, to be whatever the fat burghers feared most, to cross the line wherever they drew it, to look at the world in a way they couldn’t see, to be high, live low, stay young forever—in short, to be the bohemian.”
—Tom Wolfe (b. 1931)