Apache's Java brings Harmony to the world

THE FOLKS are churning code like there's no tomorrow at Apache's Project Harmony. The goal is to build a Java VM compatible with Sun's specifications and now the people have quietly released test binary snapshots.

"Project Harmony" was started back in May 2005 and is working to create an independent implementation of Sun's Java VM. The project must write this Java VM from scratch without using any of Sun's source code but remaining compatible with Sun's spec and passing the official TCK test suite, thus becoming "officially compatible" with the official Sun standard. This effort has been specifically allowed by Sun. The company made changes to the Java license to allow the 'clean room' development of compatible virtual machines. Graham Hamilton, Sun VP said last year: "The licensing rules for J2SE 5.0 were carefully designed to allow independent, compatible open-source implementations of the J2SE specification".

Last month, developers from Intel's "Middleware Division" announced to the Harmony mailing list the contribution of AWT and Java2D packages, thus allowing the Project Harmony Java VM to run graphical applications. Harmony is still a work in progress, and while developers were able to test the new Java VM running ClassEditor, JUnit and the popular editor application jEdit -some of this showcased at the last JavaOne conference-, brave developers wishing to test and play with the code had - until now - to compile their own binaries.

A week ago the first set of "pre-build binary snapshots" was quietly posted at the project's "incubator" web site. These Java Runtime Environment snapshot binaries were built for Windows and Linux, and the files are 27 MB, and 22 MB big, respectively.

Also available are HDK packages. The Intel lead noted that the first uploaded version had "no AWT/Swing support right now", and this scribbler admits in shame not having tested the latest binary snapshots available on the site. So if you're running in circles thinking this is alpha code, think again, it's not even that.

With the availability of these experimental binary snapshots, at least it's easier for brave souls to test code and report bugs. Geir Magnusson, one of the project's leads and who works at La Intella's software division (*) told the INQ that these builds should not be considered an "alpha release" still. "It's not a release, and should never be referred to as that. It's just a pre-build snapshot of the SVN repository", adding that "these are the first builds that include the VM and class library in a JRE-like structure. Before this, we had binary builds of the classlibrary". To conclude "I'm very sensitive about how this is described to people...".

So now you know. In short, the project is moving along, and there should be an alpha release soon - probably sooner than Sun's long-awaited move to open source its own Java VM. But the current Harmony binary snapshots are not even alpha yet. Yes, those Harmony snapshots are binaries that might or might not run code, always experimentally, sometimes. So, if you are a developer interested in Java VM tweaking and testing, play with the files at your own risk and don't call them alpha yet. You have been warned. µ

* Geir's full title is Director, Middleware Architecture for the Intel Corporation's Middleware Products Division of the Software and Solutions Group. And some people think Chipzilla is a hardware company.

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