LinuxWorld: Sun unveils Java for Linux appliances
New J2ME components improve Java support on Linux-based devices
January 31, 2001 — Sun Microsystems on Wednesday shipped two components of its Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME) for Linux, which together can provide a software platform for consumer and business networked devices, according to the company. The announcement beefs up Sun’s support for embedded systems, an area into which the Linux operating system is moving more aggressively than ever.
Sun made the announcement on the first day of the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo in New York.
The two components are J2ME CDC (connected device configuration) and a Foundation Profile for Linux, which is a set of APIs for building applications that will run on networked devices, Sun said in a statement. The vendor hopes they will be used in future consumer electronics devices, including advanced digital television set-top boxes and residential gateways that aim at improving home networking as well as in-car systems.
J2ME is one of Sun’s technologies that use the vendor’s open source-style Java Community Process, which allows developers to contribute suggestions concerning the software’s specifications and implementations.
A number of software and hardware vendors applauded Sun’s move to make J2ME available on Linux. Among them were development tools company Borland and handheld OS vendor Symbian. Both companies are particularly interested in Java-based wireless technologies. Motorola is also set to release J2ME-based wireless phones later this year, having announced a tie-up with CollabNet earlier this month to use the company’s open source SourceCast service to design applications for the phones.
Sun’s Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE) and Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) already support the Linux operating system. See Resources for download information.
