Comments on: Development Platform http://www.netsplit.com/2008/08/11/development-platform/ Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:51:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Random Guy http://www.netsplit.com/2008/08/11/development-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-1056 Random Guy Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:52:48 +0000 http://www.netsplit.com/?p=155#comment-1056 "What about programming with something like JAVA, Realbasic, MONO, Runtime revolution or GAMBAS (I’m sure there are many others)?" You know, every self-respecting Linux programmer hates Java. Vocally. That made kind of sense back when Java was proprietary, but now that Java has been open-sourced there is little reason left to bash it. Java would mostly solve the sound API issue, for example. Application developers would use Java sound API. OpenJDK/IcedTea would then translate these API calls to ALSA/libcanberra/libwhatever calls. If Linux audio developers some day decide that libghettoblaster was a bad idea and decide to move to libfatlady, only OpenJDK would need to be fixed - not every Java app ever written. Since it's not healthy to hold one's breath waiting for GTK and Qt to merge (or either of them to die), the next best thing would be to promote Java as the common development platform for Linux. Gnome fans would code native GTK apps, KDE fans would code native Qt apps and the rest of the world would code Java apps. Java has millions of developers, extensive standard libraries, cross-platform support and modern, full-featured open-source IDEs. Now that it's open source, it would be epic fail to not make it a first-class Linux citizen. “What about programming with something like JAVA, Realbasic, MONO, Runtime revolution or GAMBAS (I’m sure there are many others)?”

You know, every self-respecting Linux programmer hates Java. Vocally. That made kind of sense back when Java was proprietary, but now that Java has been open-sourced there is little reason left to bash it.

Java would mostly solve the sound API issue, for example. Application developers would use Java sound API. OpenJDK/IcedTea would then translate these API calls to ALSA/libcanberra/libwhatever calls. If Linux audio developers some day decide that libghettoblaster was a bad idea and decide to move to libfatlady, only OpenJDK would need to be fixed – not every Java app ever written.

Since it’s not healthy to hold one’s breath waiting for GTK and Qt to merge (or either of them to die), the next best thing would be to promote Java as the common development platform for Linux. Gnome fans would code native GTK apps, KDE fans would code native Qt apps and the rest of the world would code Java apps.

Java has millions of developers, extensive standard libraries, cross-platform support and modern, full-featured open-source IDEs. Now that it’s open source, it would be epic fail to not make it a first-class Linux citizen.

]]> By: Blog::new » Blog Archive » iPhone vs. Openmoko http://www.netsplit.com/2008/08/11/development-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-1054 Blog::new » Blog Archive » iPhone vs. Openmoko Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:27:25 +0000 http://www.netsplit.com/?p=155#comment-1054 [...] WiFi, I can ssh to it now”. At the same time, by some strange coincidence, I came across this blog post linked from the Linux Hater’s Blog (which I wholeheartedly recommend - so far I’ve yet [...] [...] WiFi, I can ssh to it now”. At the same time, by some strange coincidence, I came across this blog post linked from the Linux Hater’s Blog (which I wholeheartedly recommend – so far I’ve yet [...]

]]> By: Tom http://www.netsplit.com/2008/08/11/development-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-1051 Tom Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:17:24 +0000 http://www.netsplit.com/?p=155#comment-1051 >The rest of us really wish we just had a single piece marked “InterfaceKit” that we could use. I choose to develop with Qt for a reason. This is it. >The rest of us really wish we just had a single piece marked “InterfaceKit” that we could use.

I choose to develop with Qt for a reason.
This is it.

]]> By: Hamish http://www.netsplit.com/2008/08/11/development-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-1037 Hamish Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:43:25 +0000 http://www.netsplit.com/?p=155#comment-1037 Hey guys... What about programming with something like JAVA, Realbasic, MONO, Runtime revolution or GAMBAS (I'm sure there are many others)? Programming "in a box" would seem to solve this issue? I know it's cheating but it seems to be an awfully simple solution to an awfully complex problem? Thoughts? Hey guys…
What about programming with something like JAVA, Realbasic, MONO, Runtime revolution or GAMBAS (I’m sure there are many others)? Programming “in a box” would seem to solve this issue? I know it’s cheating but it seems to be an awfully simple solution to an awfully complex problem? Thoughts?

]]> By: Ian MacQueen http://www.netsplit.com/2008/08/11/development-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-1027 Ian MacQueen Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:12:49 +0000 http://www.netsplit.com/?p=155#comment-1027 While at a wine tasting the other week I met several travelers from South Africa (I live in the United States). Without bloating the anecdote, I'll just convey that our conversation went something like this: wine --> grapes from South Africa --> the sense of smell --> artificial "smell" --> artificial intelligence --> software --> Ubuntu. The word ubuntu used as a name for software was immediately taken as an insult; however, after some effort of my explaining the philosophies of fsf, gnu, opensource, etc. combined with their attempts to strengthen my understanding of the term, we agreed that Ubuntu (the OS) has potential ubuntu. Apple--as demonstrated through the iPhone--has lost its ubuntu. As to the developmental aspects and out-of-the-box capability you speak of, sure -- there are good lessons to be learned. While at a wine tasting the other week I met several travelers from South Africa (I live in the United States). Without bloating the anecdote, I’ll just convey that our conversation went something like this: wine –> grapes from South Africa –> the sense of smell –> artificial “smell” –> artificial intelligence –> software –> Ubuntu. The word ubuntu used as a name for software was immediately taken as an insult; however, after some effort of my explaining the philosophies of fsf, gnu, opensource, etc. combined with their attempts to strengthen my understanding of the term, we agreed that Ubuntu (the OS) has potential ubuntu.

Apple–as demonstrated through the iPhone–has lost its ubuntu.

As to the developmental aspects and out-of-the-box capability you speak of, sure — there are good lessons to be learned.

]]> By: Troy’s Weblog » Another ubuntu member talks about his iPhone http://www.netsplit.com/2008/08/11/development-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-993 Troy’s Weblog » Another ubuntu member talks about his iPhone Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:37:29 +0000 http://www.netsplit.com/?p=155#comment-993 [...] across this post today (I know it’s probably a week or two old) from a ubuntu member who talks about the [...] [...] across this post today (I know it’s probably a week or two old) from a ubuntu member who talks about the [...]

]]> By: Jeff Bailey http://www.netsplit.com/2008/08/11/development-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-977 Jeff Bailey Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:03:27 +0000 http://www.netsplit.com/?p=155#comment-977 Hmm. Don't they run on Mach? Perhaps this means that it's time to do a Hurd port to the iPhone... ;) Hmm. Don’t they run on Mach? Perhaps this means that it’s time to do a Hurd port to the iPhone… ;)

]]> By: Johannes Jensen http://www.netsplit.com/2008/08/11/development-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-976 Johannes Jensen Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:51:48 +0000 http://www.netsplit.com/?p=155#comment-976 Nice post - you bring up some very good points about development on the Linux platform today. An important read for any OSS developer! Nice post – you bring up some very good points about development on the Linux platform today. An important read for any OSS developer!

]]> By: Anon http://www.netsplit.com/2008/08/11/development-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-975 Anon Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:04:32 +0000 http://www.netsplit.com/?p=155#comment-975 Also see Mike Melanson's <a href="http://blogs.adobe.com/penguin.swf/2007/05/welcome_to_the_jungle.html" rel="nofollow">Welcome to the [Linux sound] jungle</a>. Also see Mike Melanson’s Welcome to the [Linux sound] jungle.

]]> By: M.S. http://www.netsplit.com/2008/08/11/development-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-974 M.S. Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:25:49 +0000 http://www.netsplit.com/?p=155#comment-974 Nice post which kind of stripes the issues developers are faced with. To add another example, the guys writing the Linux Flash plugin at Adobe have also complained about these kind of things. It is good developers have so much choice on Linux, however I would clearly state that it is the responsibility of projects like GNOME (or KDE) to make bring the clutter together into a defined streamlined experience for developers and users. Sure FD, LSD and LF also have this responsibility, although I think they don't have the "power" to introduce the changes as the main desktop projects have. Nice post which kind of stripes the issues developers are faced with. To add another example, the guys writing the Linux Flash plugin at Adobe have also complained about these kind of things.

It is good developers have so much choice on Linux, however I would clearly state that it is the responsibility of projects like GNOME (or KDE) to make bring the clutter together into a defined streamlined experience for developers and users. Sure FD, LSD and LF also have this responsibility, although I think they don’t have the “power” to introduce the changes as the main desktop projects have.

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