Re: Java and OpenOffice.org
On Fri, 2005-03-04 at 19:50 -0500, David A. Cobb wrote:
> Bruce Byfield wrote:
>
> > Hi:
> >
> > I'm working on an article about the decision to use Java in
> > OpenOffice.org. The article will include both positive and negative
> > opinions, and talk about how it affects repackagers of OOo, and how they
> > are planning on handling the situation.
> >
> > If possible, I'd like to get a quote about how Debian plans to
> > respond. By putting together a Java-free package? By using a free
> > implementation of Java? By some other means? Since Debian is a
> > distribution that is more dedicated than most to free software, I'm
> > especially eager to hear how it is approaching the issue.
> >
> > And if anyone on the Debian OpenOffice Team would care to make other
> > comments, I'd appreciate hearing them, by all means.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> I discovered that, the way the cat learned to swim [ got tossed in the
> pond ].
> My solution was to install the un-free Sun JDK; but I'm not happy with
> the solution.
>
> Java is, according to OOo, 'optional.' However, without it, significant
> things like the database interface don't work.
>
> I believe the best solution, one that would benefit the whole
> free-software community, would be to figure out how to get OOo to work
> with, say, kaffe or some other JVM. But I don't expect that to be easy,
> and I don't expect much help from the OO org -- remember that Sun ist
> their major sponsor.
>
> This is one more sad result of the way Sun tries to straddle the fence
> and be free but not always free.
>
> --
> David A. Cobb, Software Engineer, Public Access Advocate
> "By God's Grace, I am a Christian man; by my actions a great sinner." -- The Way of a Pilgrim: R.French, Tr.
> Life is too short to tolerate crappy software!
David-
I concur strongly with your thoughts. Keep in mind that yours &
Debian's is the right and constructive response: how can we replace this
functionality with not-Java? This is the challenge to be inferred by
their actions.
The project has stated in the past that they would use Java where only
where there were no alternative functionality available; however the
increasing dependencies now make those statements seem disingenuous.
-Sam
>
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