Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 13:24:33 -0600 From: Chad Perrin <perrin@apotheon.com> To: n j <nino80@gmail.com> Cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Java on the BSD Desktop? Message-ID: <20070529192433.GC38336@demeter.hydra> In-Reply-To: <92bcbda50705290356g70381411m185d9067fa1c3c60@mail.gmail.com> References: <465B86F9.3000001@voidmain.net> <465BFD6F.5090507@netfence.it> <92bcbda50705290356g70381411m185d9067fa1c3c60@mail.gmail.com>
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On Tue, May 29, 2007 at 12:56:39PM +0200, n j wrote: > >I am wanting to write a gui frontend to pkg_cutleaves. I see that it is > >just a simple perl script so, it would be quite simple to just put a gtk > >frontend on it and call it a day. However, I am starting to write a > >good amount of code in java and was wondering what others think about > >java as the de-facto gui standard on the BSD desktop. > > For what it's worth, I think Java should be far more present in the > FreeBSD at least as far as desktop is concerned and it's a good > alternative to Qt/Tk/Gtk for GUI applications. Java is a fine serious > programming language whose strongest selling point a long time ago > ceased to be "write once, run anywhere". I might agree with the idea that Java should be more common on FreeBSD if getting Java apps working on FreeBSD weren't so much like putting my hand into a meat grinder. Dealing with Sun's license agreement nonsense over and over again every time software needs to be updated is not on my list of fun things to do. I, personally, would react with horror to the idea that Java is a "de facto GUI standard" for the BSD desktop. You're right about Java's strongest selling point no longer being its portability. Since Java has proven that "write once, run anywhere" is in fact somewhat inaccurate, we have discovered that the biggest reason for its use (other than its middle-management-friendliness) is probably related to the way it optimizes execution over extremely long runs so that effectively perpetual runtimes become more efficient. Of course, that has nothing to do with desktop GUI application development, and everything to do with "mission critical" server use. -- CCD CopyWrite Chad Perrin [ http://ccd.apotheon.org ] Rudy Giuliani: "You have free speech so I can be heard."
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