Documenting "Debian JAVA_HOME" [was: Re: findjava requirement]
On Mon, 2003-09-22 at 13:32, Ean Schuessler wrote:
> We want Java programs to run the interpreter using a common commandline
> and directory layout. Many Java programs rely on the JAVA_HOME layout
Well - it's abvious that we *don't want* every single program to
separately support each single JVM.
> even though it is an ill-defined non-standard. The path of least
I agre with Etienne - that JVM doesn't need JAVA_HOME - BUT the apps
that it is supposed to run - they may! :-)
> resistance is to formalize a definition of this standard and then tune
> up the behavior of packages that deviate from calling it.
Exactly - facts are that thing like JAVA_HOME exists for some purpose.
Whether currently it serves this purpose - is another question.
I think that most of us tried to use with alternatives to java programs
and found out that it's not flexible and creates many problems and
hedaches.
Personally I would go first for writing a proposal of Debian JAVA_HOME
standard that would try to take best of what current JAVA_HOME is, but
bringing it more up to date so that it could provide single interface
to all JVMs and related tools.
One thing that I'd like to see there is of course a list of files
(mandatory and optional ones) and their locations along with recognized
commandline options. Then I think wrappers could take care of
translating the options into sth. that a real tool would understand.
> SableVM could provide a /usr/lib/sablevm/jre directory that linked
> together the various binaries and jars into a facsimile of the JAVA_HOME
There is free-java-sdk which does exactly this for SableVM, however
it's currently somewhat abondoned because it's been not clear to me
what exactly should be the tools and other files in it and whether
we want to go with JAVA_HOME or sth. better is being prepared.
> On Mon, 2003-09-22 at 09:16, Etienne Gagnon wrote:
> > Fully agreed. I have no idea what JAVA_HOME should be, for sablevm, as
> > its configuration files are in /etc/sablevm and $HOME/.sablevm, its
> > libraries in /usr/lib/sablevm, and its executable in /usr/bin. Where
> > shouls JAVA_HOME point? [rhetorical question]
I'd separate JVM itself from a JAVA_HOME environment. You shouldn't
be forced to change anything/much in a JVM to make it possible to
create JAVA_HOME env. for it.
Is anyone willing to create "Debian Java_Home" document draft?
Or maybe you don't like the idea?
Grzegorz B. Prokopski
--
Grzegorz B. Prokopski <gadek@debian.org>
Debian GNU/Linux http://www.debian.org
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