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Why is there an Oracle copyright in the middle of a Facebook javascript?
- aaronbrethorst 16y agoBecause that chunk of stuff is from http://www.java.com/js/deployJava.txt http://www.java.com/js/deployJava.txt And apparently Oracle slaps "ORACLE PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL" on everything.
- andre3k1 16y agoFacebook will gladly throw in a copyright notice if it means avoiding a costly lawsuit: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9193538/Oracle_Google_directly_copied_our_Java_code http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9193538/Oracle_Google... Oracle are not very nice when it comes to Java licensing. Just ask Apache.
- patrickaljord 16y agoThis has nothing to do with Java licensing, it's a piece of javascript to detect whether you have Java installed or not.
- ruby_on_rails 16y agoI think someone else pointed this out, but the Oracle license is included because the javascript references [http://www.java.com/js/deployJava.txt http://www.java.com/js/deployJava.txt]. From the comments in the reference: * deployJava.js * * This file is part of the Deployment Toolkit. It provides functions for web * pages to detect the presence of a JRE, install the latest JRE, and easily run * applets or Web Start programs. i e Sun/Oracle own the code Facebook is using.
- nikcub 16y agoOutside of the line about proprietary/confidential, it is a standard 3-clause (no ad) BSD license they are using - so I don't know why they need that line in there. That is probably the only interesting part of this story.
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- nakkiel 16y agoWhat is also interesting (or is that scary?) is that some people reading HN can't tell a BSD license from a custom proprietary copyright notice.
- nodata 16y agoI think the problem is the "proprietary" conflicting with the notion of a BSD license.
- nakkiel 16y agoBelieve it or not but BSD or GPL licensed code remains the copyright holder's property. If it didn't no licensing terms would be applicable and it would be called Public Domain. Proprietary Software as coined by the FSF is merely a language abuse.
- geoffw8 16y agoI'm not a techie. I couldn't tell you what a BSD licence is exactly, but I'm aware of the differences, and reasons for choosing between them.
- bad_user 16y agoWhat's also interesting is that some people reading HN cannot tell the difference between << public domain >> and << BSD licensed >>. It's as if just because it's BSD we are talking about, you can break those 3 conditions at will. Not surprising actually, since some Linux kernel devs have also been doing it.
- nakkiel 16y agoWell, you wouldn't want to release anything into the public domain and I don't believe any sane developer ever has. As far as license violations are concerned, this is not a problem solely limited to the BSD as there are oh so many cases for the GPL as well for example. In my experience, I'm much more keen to include a notice about the folk who wrote that piece of software than complying with the GPL (although I always do). For example, let's say you want to strip down an ERP web-client so that mobile devices can actually use it. That's a quick and dirty 1 hour patch to render the software minimal. If the software is under the GPL, you must publish your changes. Knowing that your dirty patch will be obsolete in a 2 weeks time and that nobody will ever actually look for it. Well, I'm all for freedom.
- aniket_ray 16y agoAccording to the link in the copyright header (http://www.java.com/js/deployJava.txt http://www.java.com/js/deployJava.txt) "This file is part of the Deployment Toolkit. It provides functions for web pages to detect the presence of a JRE, install the latest JRE, and easily run applets or Web Start programs."
- Xuzz 16y agoAnd is probably used for their Java-based image uploader.
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- bhiller 16y agoIt looks like Facebook didn't strip out the copyright since it says "Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer." It is also clearly a file that is supposed to be used outside of Oracle, the following comment states (at http://www.java.com/js/deployJava.txt http://www.java.com/js/deployJava.txt): "You are encouraged to link directly to the live copies." The real question is why it appears twice after being packaged.
- geuis 16y agoSkimmed through the js code after loading it into http://jsbeautifier.org http://jsbeautifier.org. Looks like it may be used to load java applets. (edit) Looks like Facebook is using the Java RIA framework, http://download.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/guides/jweb/deployment_advice.html#deplToolkit http://download.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/guides/jw...
- paulirish 16y ago> Skimmed through the js code after loading it into http://jsbeautifier.org http://jsbeautifier.org ... If on Chrome, check out the prettyprint extension, which uses the same jsbeautifier code to do it auto for ya. https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/nipdlgebaanapcphbcidpmmmkcecpkhg https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/nipdlgebaanapcph...
- wh-uws 16y agoI remember they used to (and as far as I know still do) use a java applet to bulk upload pictures to photos. It lets you pick multiple pictures from a directory on your hard drive, rotate them if you need to, and then I believe it does some compression before finally loading them up
- togasystems 16y agoThey used to have an applet by Augrima. I bought the same one. It works well and doesn't use flash.
- ruby_on_rails 16y agoMost likely the same reason why they are going after Google as the new owner of java, because up until they owned sun microsystems, it was in their best interest to support open source. In the aftermath of purchasing Sun, they think its best to become a patent troll. I hope we see some more karmic justice and Google rips Oracle a new one.
- nikcub 16y agothat has nothing to do with Facebook using BSD licensed javascript from Oracle
- ruby_on_rails 16y agoSorry, I skimmed the license and assumed it was a paid license, not BSD. And btw the Oracle snippet is there referencing Java, not javascript.
- tzury 16y agohttp://www.java.com/js/deployJava.txt http://www.java.com/js/deployJava.txt This file is part of the Deployment Toolkit. It provides functions for web pages to detect the presence of a JRE, install the latest JRE, and easily run applets or Web Start programs.
- drivebyacct2 16y agoIt's not really a secret is it? Considering there is a link to a very readable source file...
- aschobel 16y agoI wonder how much that costs them, must be a fortune.
- aschobel 16y agoTo the folks downvoting, the following is from Facebook's Front End Tech Talk: /** * Adding a single line to this file requires great internal reflection * and thought. You must ask yourself if your one line addition is so * important, so critical to the success of the company, that it warrants * a slowdown for every user on every page load. Adding a single letter * here could cost thousands of man hours around the world. * * That is all. */ http://www.slideshare.net/makinde/javascript-primer http://www.slideshare.net/makinde/javascript-primer Slide #47
- daveman692 16y agoThat comment is in Primer which is a very small piece of JavaScript loaded at the beginning of every page.
- aschobel 16y agoThanks, did FB ever release anything more from Primer? https://gist.github.com/376039 https://gist.github.com/376039 Or is this it? I didn't see the comment.
- bhiller 16y agoThat it is, it just excludes the comment at the header. It has actually changed a bit since then, but that is still pretty much it.
- jankassens 16y agoThe Javelin JS framework used for Facebook Lite. http://www.javelinjs.com/ http://www.javelinjs.com/
- daveman692 16y agoAs a number of other people have pointed out, we (I'm an engineer at Facebook) use http://www.java.com/js/deployJava.txt http://www.java.com/js/deployJava.txt which Oracle has released under the BSD licensed. One of the requirements of the license is that their copyright header is preserved when distributing the source code.
- danerik 16y agoAt least when it comes to Java, I urge everyone to get out of the trap : http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/java-trap.html http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/java-trap.html
- mavroprovato 16y agoCould you please read the very first paragraph of what you posted?