[OSM-talk] Java and freedom

[Robert Scott]

Great work!


robert.

On Thursday 25 May 2006 08:27, Petter Reinholdtsen wrote:
> [Nick Hill]
>
> > My contributions to OSM are limited by this stumbling block. I am
> > not inclined to use non-free java. I have been brushing up on my
> > Java over the past few days to see if there is any way (with my
> > currently very limited java knowledge) I can make the OSM Java
> > applications available to free software platforms.
>
> I have spent the last few months working with the GNU Classpath
> community, reporting bugs about errors detected by the OSM applet and
> the JOSM program, and am happy to report that progress has been made.
> I welcome help.
>
> The last blocker for the OSM applet (running in standalone mode) is
> <URL:http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=27700>, and with the
> workaround patch from that bug in place in the CVS version of GNU
> Classpath, the applet runs and seem to be usable.  Check the
> screenshot on <URL: http://folk.uio.no/pre/osm-classpath.png >.  It is
> slow, but that might improve when I get one of the faster JVMs (I test
> with jamvm because it is the only one working for me at the moment).
>
> As for JOSM, it depend on Java 1.5 features, and these are only
> available in the generics branch of GNU Classpath.  That branch will
> be merged into the main branch as soon as gcc (gcj) support the new
> language features.  Not sure how far off that is, but when that is
> done, I expect only minor fixes are needed to get JOSM to work too.
>
> There is a bigger issue with applets and security with GNU Classpath.
> Two weeks ago the applet viewer code was merged into GNU Classpath,
> but there is no security manager writtten, and the entire code base of
> GNU Classpath need to be reviewed to verify that all security checks
> are in place.  This is work that is unlikely to be finished this year,
> unless more than the person currently working on it dig into it.  I
> try to help, but have very limited time to spend on it. :(
>
> Friendly,