From owner-freebsd-chat Wed Dec 3 07:45:41 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) id HAA17694 for chat-outgoing; Wed, 3 Dec 1997 07:45:41 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from keymaster.fsl.noaa.gov (root@keymaster.fsl.noaa.gov [137.75.131.182]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id HAA17690 for ; Wed, 3 Dec 1997 07:45:36 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from kelly@fsl.noaa.gov) Received: from cardinal.fsl.noaa.gov (cardinal.fsl.noaa.gov [137.75.60.101]) by keymaster.fsl.noaa.gov (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id PAA13876 for ; Wed, 3 Dec 1997 15:45:29 GMT Received: from fsl.noaa.gov (auk.fsl.noaa.gov [137.75.60.124]) by cardinal.fsl.noaa.gov (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id PAA08326 for ; Wed, 3 Dec 1997 15:45:29 GMT Message-ID: <34857E98.A0B877C3@fsl.noaa.gov> Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 08:45:28 -0700 From: Sean Kelly Organization: CIRA/NOAA X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.03 [en] (X11; I; HP-UX B.10.20 9000/725) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: What can we do about Java? Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org I realize a lot of FreeBSD users are old Unix hands who tend to turn their noses up at even the slightest mention of Java (or any other coffee product---they tend to like it out of a can with a label like Folger's Choice with Maxwellian Crystals, percolated until it's burned through, and taken black with six sugars). I get paid to do Java now, and despite all the hype it's really a nice improvement over C++. My software development times have never been lower. Plus, management finds it a great way to leverage their high-powered Unix developers into developing Windows software, and all without the kicking, the screaming, and (in some cases) the bleating. FreeBSD has reached a point where it can almost be called the de facto standard operating system for Internet servers. It really is "the Power to Serve." A very recent article in Java World http://www.javaworld.com/jw-12-1997/jw-12-volanomark.html acknowledges this fact. The author writes: ``In particular, good Java server support in BSD/OS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and NetBSD represents a large chunk of Internet servers to be excluded from Sun's "run anywhere" claim.'' There are other specific mentions of FreeBSD in the article as well. I think it's high time FreeBSD become one of the leading Java runtime and development platforms. Our OS is already positioned quite well in Internet environments and on the desktops of many of us old Unix hands. I'm aware that some FreeBSD core team members also do paid Java development with FreeBSD. I'd like to be able to do that as well with a high-performance, low-bug Java system. I've got the enthusiasm (if not the talent), and I want to help. What can I do? What can *we* do? --Sean