Vert.x takes first step towards Eclipse Foundation

Vert.x has been officially proposed to the Eclipse Foundation, bringing an end to the controversy that has been dogging the project since the start of the year.

The fate of the Node.js-inspired framework seemed uncertain after creator Tim Fox accused previous employer VMware of claiming the open-source project’s IP rights. However, after weeks of discussion, the community (with VMware and Red Hat’s blessing) opted to donate Vert.x to the Eclipse Foundation.

According to the proposal, VMware have agreed to transfer IP rights to the Eclipse Foundation, although the author takes some not-so-thinly-veiled swipes at VMware’s supposed claiming of Vert.x:

For Vert.x to continue to flourish with a vibrant community, it’s important that the project is hosted in a neutral organisation where the aims of any one entity cannot steer the project. We believe the project is owned by the community and it’s up to the community, led by the project lead, to determine the course of the project.

If – or rather, when – Vert.x is accepted, the code will be checked over for potential licensing issues, and then the website and documentation will be ported over to Eclipse’s own systems.

Migration should be fully completed “by end of April 2013”, after which the project can finally get on with the real work – building cool stuff.