Sun and the Java world are hurtling towards the date — albeit still undetermined — when Java code is released to the open source community. Already surfacing are some details are how this will go down, what impact it could have, and how various industries are reacting.

Many open-source Java users are already taking advantage of Sun's more established GlassFish project, where the Java Platform Enterprise Edition (Java EE) application server is offered as an open-source package.

Sun announced last month that it would open source the rest of its Java technology — specifically, Java Platform Standard Edition (Java SE) and its Java Platform Micro Edition (ME) — "within 30 to 60 days." The goal behind the open-sourcing of the key components of these Java platforms is to boost interest in the platforms among developers and users. Releasing Java code to the open source community could also lead to better-performing Java apps on a wider array of platforms, industry observers say.

Having all flavors of Java out in the open-source world should result in better-written, and smoother-running cross-platform Java applications, running on everything from data center servers, to desktop PCs and handheld computers.

Since it announced its 30-to-60-day plan, it's emerged that Sun is looking at the Community Development and Distribution License (CDDL) as the possible open-source license for its Java platforms. CCDL is the license Sun uses in its open-source Solaris project; the license is a derivative of the Mozilla Public License, and recognized by the Open Source Initiative — the arbiter of open-source licensing.

Meanwhile, Motorola is rolling with its own open-source Java efforts, in advance of Sun's open-sourcing of Java ME, used widely by device makers such as Motorola for cell phone/hand-held device software. Motorola says it is already plans to build an open-source community around Java ME, but says it will to use the Apace open source licensing model for this effort. (It is unclear, presently, if Motorola and Sun's efforts will conflict or complement each other.)