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Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 09:39:37 -0700 (MST)
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From: Nate Williams <nate@mt.sri.com>
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To: Adrian Chadd <adrian@obiwan.aceonline.com.au>
Cc: questions@freebsd.org, hackers@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: Java binary support in FreeBSD ... 
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> I as just wondering if there was any plans to introduce java binary
> compatibility into the FreeBSD kernel.

As someone who is heavily involved in Java right now, I think doing that
is the *wrong* thing to do.

First of all, JDK 1.1 is released, and until someone ports it to FreeBSD
your binaries may not work correctly if they are compiled with the newer
compiler.  Second of all, it means that someone must really 'own' the
JDK and support bugs in it, and I don't think we have anyone willing to
do that (especially given that the group can't maintain it due to
licensing restrictions).

Next, how do you setup the CLASSPATH?  You *must* assume the JDK lives
in a specified directory, but the *entire* thing is in so much flux most
of the time that you can't rely on this.  The classes.zip file
(effectively libc under unix) might not be found to have tons of bugs,
and trying to keep -current with it and such as a user would be a
nightmare, since it would require sticking things in the 'FreeBSD'
expected locations vs. right now with the JDK being pretty much a
stand-alone product.

Finally, the legality of it could be in question.  The folks at
Blackdown.org who did the original Linux port question bundling the
run-time with Linux, and having support w/out the runtime being bundled
by default in the OS seems to be pretty bogus in my eyes.  Sun is going
to be providing a 'run-time' that everyone can use.  When they do that
(and if someone ports it to FreeBSD) we can possibly re-visit the issue,
but I don't see the first two portions changing.


Nate