As of this date, Hobbes has the
*binary* release of the Win16 WPS wrapper --but not the source code.
On the other hand, it appears that as far back as
1999, there were people playing with the WPS Win16 wrapper source code. What is different now is that IBM gave the formal nod to the source code release of the wrapper.
From all these developments, it seems that the OS/2 Work Place Shell (or the SOM technology, for that matter) has began to bubble up as the first potentially immediate candidate OS/2 source code component that might be set free.
REASON:
I liked
the article by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, who argues in favour of the technical benefits (read alignment with IBM OSS strategy) of SOM on the Linux experience and integration with current IBM technologies --if the framework/libraries were to be open sourced, of course. Possibly Mr. Vaughan-Nichols even browsed the manual,
Programming with DirectToSOM(TM)C++ a priori to writing his
Analysis --for he even expounded on the CORBA relationship.
PRO: Mr. Vaughan-Nichols is well respected in the free and open source software (FOSS & OSS) community and his
Analysis likely will bring a sharper focus to the OS/2 World Foundation petition efforts to IBM --and to the rediscovery and potential interest in the OS/2 by the (F)OSS camp.
CON: He does not believe that other OS/2 components can be open sourced.
...well, at least Mr. Vaughan-Nichols did his research and contributed to the momentum of the petition effect towards open sourcing OS/2; that stands in sharp contrast to the
contemptible "article" by the fellow who was "... Glad That IBM Declined to Release the OS/2 Source."