Recent Posts by Joe Darcy

To address a configuration issue with the previously reported regression tests results for OpenJDK 6 b11, I reran the jdk tests with the display set to a virtual framebuffer and 77 more tests pass. In summary now: JDK, 2,989 tests pass, 32 tests fail, 22 tests have errors. Note that the jtdiff command, included as part of jtreg, can be used to compare the output of different regression test runs.

For comparison purposes, I've uploaded the results of the automated regression tests (-a option to jtreg) from the OpenJDK 6 build 11 source bundle run against a Sun-internal Linux build: HotSpot, 5 tests pass. Langtools, 1,349 tests pass, 2 tests fail, 6 tests have errors. JDK, 2,912 tests pass, 109 tests fail, 22 tests have errors. I ran the tests remotely and didn't set a usable display so about 72 of the JDK failures are from the AWT tests not having a display; I'll rerun...

On July 15, the OpenJDK 6 b11 source bundle was published. This source bundle includes: All the relevant JDK security fixes that recently went out. More information about these changes is available from the Sun Alerts linked to from one of Sun's security pages. Some of the security fixes only affect closed code or areas otherwise not open sourced as part of OpenJDK 6 so not all the security fixes are reflected in the source bundle. Ports of existing fixes in various areas. In...

Congratulations to the IcedTea project and Red Hat for producing an OpenJDK binary in Fedora 9 that passes the Java SE TCK! We'll continue working on getting the remaining fixes needed to achieve this incorporated directly into OpenJDK 6 too.

When flying recently, I was slightly concerned after when my carry on bag was selected for extra scrutiny after going through the X-ray machine; the culprit: cheese. I was bringing back four bars of 1 ¾" × 1 ¾" × 6" cheese I haven't been able to find in California. My bag also had some batteries and electronics in it. The cheese packaging was swabbed and analyzed and I went on my way. I thought this was a little silly, but I moderated my view when I was catching up on back...

On May 30, the OpenJDK 6 b10 source bundle was published. Notable fixes in this build include: Clarifications and corrections to the build instructions ( title="Error in default target of make/javax/crypto in OpenJDK build">6644659, title="Add cygwin faq to README-builds.html">6682167, title="Clarify instructions for unpacking openjdk binary plug">6563616, title="Incorrect link to CA certs info from build README">6611685,title="JDK build instructions need to be...

There have been many years and many miles since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and after seeing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this weekend, I think the franchise is a little worse for wear. In the opening action sequence, I was was surprised to learn Soviet gunpowder in the 1950's apparently included iron filings in addition to sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate since the powder was magnetic! Somewhere in editing, I'm convinced the line "Ants...

Described as the French "Shakespeare in Love," I watched the film "Molière" about the famous but new-to-me 17th century French playwright and one verbal exchange stuck with me. The exchange is described in the wikipedia article about Molière: In Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, the title character, M. Jourdain, composes a love note as follows: "Beautiful marchioness, your beautiful eyes make me die from love" ("Belle marquise, vos beaux yeux me font mourir d'amour"). He then asks his...

Catching up post-JavaOne, I was glad to have gone a bit outside my usual core Java SE track sessions on Thursday evening by attending "Writing the Next Great Java™ Technology Book." Moderated by book editor Greg Doench, the panel of distinguished authors, Brian Goetz, Josh Bloch, Kathy Sierra, and Bert Bates, gave advice ranging from why to start writing a book to how to complete one. Below are my recollections of the bof. Brian advised to treat writing a book like running a...