The final verdict is in: OpenSolaris is no more.

Aside from the implications for the OpenSolaris code base and Solaris itself (this move could help, hurt or kill Solaris as an OS), what does this mean for other Oracle-controlled technologies, including OpenOffice and Java?

Actually I really don't care so much about what Oracle does with Java (even though I use it more than OO), but I'm really wondering what's going to happen to OpenOffice.org under Oracle's management.

What I am wondering is what is the rationall Oracle management is using to justify it.

What do they think they're gaining by trying to lock down what has already been released into the wild?

Quoting:even though I use it more than OO), but I'm really wondering what's going to happen to OpenOffice.org under Oracle's management.

Judging by the pretty constant updates I'm getting for OO.o and VirtualBox, I'd guess that OO.o and Virtual Box are pretty safe.

By the look of things Open Solaris is a project that duplicates other projects they involved in.

It needs to be pointed out Open Solaris is Open Source, as indeed are VirtualBox and OO.o.

OpenOffice, yes, but VirtualBox still has the "closed" edition with USB enabled, as opposed to the "OpenSourceEdition (OSE)" in which USB is not enabled.

There is USBoverTCP that gets around this, and I cannot imagine it would be impossible to put USB into VB-OSE if a came to a fork in the road.

Just how "open" is the license OpenSolaris was released under? I'm too tired to look it up.

> what does this mean for other Oracle-controlled technologies, including OpenOffice and Java?

Looking at the information we have so far: Open Office is dead as an Oracle backed project and Java will be taken completely in house and become just another commercial language with an Open Source equivalent. Any hope for Open Office now rests with the community and any other company which may wish to pick it up.

What's funny is that even though I'm concerned about the future of OO, I really almost never use traditional office software any more. I view e-mailed documents through Gmail and if I have to create a spreadsheet or word-processing document, I use Google Docs. Yeah, I now it's anti-freedom and that Google is spying on me, but it's just so darn convenient.

I know I'm being cliche' here, OOo is important.

I'll give money to the community that takes it over from Oracle. That and VirtualBox, too.

These are solid, quality things that are stable enough that they don't need huge corporate backing to make/keep them relevant.

I mean, really, just how much change does a document/spreadsheet/presentation package need once it works? Wouldn't Office97 still work perfectly well for 99.9% of the uses out there, if it were still supported?

I cannot imagine that VirtualBox would need as much active development as a video driver does, once it works, either.

It's a bloody _platform_ for the love of pete. Stabilize it! Stability is what the Bazaar does best!

> These are solid, quality things that are stable enough that they don't need huge corporate backing to make/keep them relevant.

That's pretty much true, yes. At this point, they just need someone to maintain them so they'll compile on current systems. Even keeping compatibility with future version of Microsoft Office doesn't need to be that high a priority for Open Office.