Java for FC3 (was: Re: Java status for FC4?)

[Avi Alkalay]

The work from JPackage is something that adds A LOT of value to the
Java-on-Linux world.
Before them, Java was a piece of junk that I had to throw someplace
under /usr/local (aaaargh) or /opt (yuc, arrrrrgh !!!) and define
manually one thousand envars.

JPackage provides an infrastructure to receive JVMs and Java
components and apps in a very organized way. Obviously all RPMs. (was
there any system organization before the invention of RPM? do you
folks remember Slack(argh)ware? they are still doing tar.gz!!)

I can't live without JPackage.

I just don't like their .nosrc.rpms, because of licensing issues.....
But this will change soon, now that Sun solved their legal problems
with Microsoft. Yes, I'm saying we are close to have an open source
JVM. From Sun or IBM. Or both.

I'm happy RHEL embraced JPackage packaging standards.

Thank you Nicolas, and JPackage team.

Regards,
Avi

On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 22:13:16 +0100, Nicolas Mailhot
<nicolas.mailhot at laposte.net> wrote:
> Le jeudi 11 novembre 2004 à 15:09 -0500, Amitabha Roy a écrit :
> > Maybe someone can explain to a complete novice like me what the issue is.
> >
> > How does being integrated with  jpackage help ?
> >
> > Why is Sun's java not good enough ?
> 
> Sun packages were (and probably still are, didn't look at them for a
> long time) little more than a single-root tar-like system. To help
> system integration, upgrades we've repackaged most of the big linux jvms
> on the market.
> 
> Little things like consistent namings (including package naming;),
> locations, virtual provides, etc enable JPackage users to switch JVMs
> relatively easily without reconfiguring their whole java system. The
> files themselves are extracted from the binary tar drops most vendors
> provide, since we don't have access to sources (for people that really
> want the original Sun packages we've also got a package that simulates a
> jpp rpm by adding symlinks all over the place).
> 
> A human can work around all the changes between one vendor package and
> another but you really can't build a large package base over stuff that
> is changing all the time. The main JVM repackaging aim is to provide a
> stable base other Java packages can then use.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> --
> Nicolas Mailhot