Version 1.50.0 should be dropped from Nixpkgs, if possible, once we're
reasonably sure that the update doesn't break any packages in ways that
cannot be trivially fixed.
spice is a next-generation remote desktop protocol, aimed at virtual
machines.
focus is not just on display/input devices, but clipboard, audio,
video, opengl, smartcards, usb devices as well, no matter if the
virtual machine runs locally or on a remote host.
not everything is implemented yet, and I didn't enable all available
features yet.
Currently, spice is able to make qemu-kvm virtual machines very usable
for workstation guests, with good 2d video support, clipboard sharing,
full resolutions, auto-mouse-grab/ungrab, xinerama / multiple guest
monitors. Good drivers for windows 7 guests are available, as well as
linux Xorg drivers / agents.
Basically, kvm was already the best-performing VM solution (using
virtio drivers), but virtualbox, while slower, had better
desktop-integration support (still wins if you want opengl). Spice
fixes this, making the choice very easy.
With this change, java packages will build with openjdk by default. The
primary driver for this is legal: The build farm is not allowed to
distribute the proprietary Oracle jdk6, and so it is not allowed to
distribute any packages that depend on it. In my view, this is a purely
beneficial change: from the perspective of the build farm, packages will
go from undistributable due to licensing to either distributable or
undistributable due to failed build (if the package doesn't build
properly with openjdk), and from the perspective of the end user it is
very easy to override the jdk on a package-by-package basis or for all
of nixpkgs in the nixpkgs configuration.
