Features/IcedTea

= IcedTea =

Summary
Include IcedTea

Owner

 * Name: ThomasFitzsimmons

Current status

 * Targeted release:  Fedora 8
 * Last updated: 2007-10-16
 * Percentage of completion: 100%

java-1.7.0-icedtea packages have been approved, built in koji and listed in comps-f8.xml.

Detailed Description
The IcedTea project provides a harness to build the source code from the OpenJDK project using Free Software build tools and provides replacements for the binary plugs with code from the GNU Classpath project.

This feature request is for IcedTea to be the default JPackage environment in Fedora 8.

Benefit to Fedora
IcedTea is superior to GCJ, the default JPackage environment in previous Fedora releases.

Scope
An IcedTea Fedora package is being actively maintained. It would be included in Fedora and built for at least x86 and x86_64.

Release-Critical Work Items


 * resolve issues with questionable license headers

Non-Release-Critical Work Items


 * gcjwebplugin integration


 * ppc support


 * ppc64 support

Test Plan

 * IcedTea's test suite


 * IcedTea's demos


 * Mauve


 * DaCapo


 * Eclipse: build, run


 * JBoss: build, run


 * JBoss test suite

User Experience
/usr/bin/java in a desktop install should point to IcedTea's java.

/usr/bin/javac in a developer install should point to IcedTea's javac.

Dependencies
All of IcedTea's dependencies are available in Rawhide.

Contingency Plan
Do nothing. Rely on GCJ for Fedora 8 JPackage environment.

Documentation
IcedTea README

Release Notes
IcedTea-specific release notes are not necessary.

Questions From FESCo
It would be terribly helpful for someone to be available to answer questions during the FESCo meeting. In lieu of that, some issues raised at the last meeting:

ppc and ppc64 ports are in progress but will not be complete in the Fedora 8 time frame.
 * PPC support is viewed as important by FESCo; to some members, lack of it is a blocker. What it its status?

GCJ will still be available to package builders and users in Fedora 8.'
 * Some FESCo members now have the impression that the goal is to eliminate native compilation of Java code in Fedora and that IcedTea is part of that effort. Some of those members feel this is not a good idea.  Can someone please summarize the relationship between this feature and native code compilation via gcj?  If the goal is to eliminate native code compilation, can someone provide some justification for that?