Re: Article on OpenOffice using GCJ

[Heitzso <heitzso at growthmodels dot com>]

Might also be good to note how OpenOffice is dependent
on Java now for some key functionality.  Not certain that
Ingrid understands that given the phrase "once built will
run independently".

> Hi Ingrid!
>
> > I'm interested in writing an article on the version of OpenOffice using
> > GCJ that FSF is developing. What is GCJ being used for? -
> GCJ is a general puprose Java-Compiler that is able to compile java 
> source code into directly executable programs, it works like any 
> traditional C/C++ comiler. Compared to SUN you do not need a 
> rutime-enviroment, nor is there an platform abstraction layer like 
> bytecode.
>
> > You say it is
> > being used to build and run OpenOffice, why is GCJ needed to run
> > OpenOffice. Surely once OpenOffice has been built it will run
> > independently?
> >  
> GCJ will not be needed to run OOo, since gcj compiles the code unlike 
> a traditional Java virtual machine, so the code is able to run on the 
> platform it was built for withough an abstraction layer like a virtual 
> machine.
> The drawback is that the code is not compile-once-run-everywhere but 
> more write-once-run-everywhere since you have to re-compile your code 
> if you want to target e.g. PowerPC instead of Pentium-Class machines.
>
> The only thing that will be needed to run a GCJ compiled OOo is 
> libgcj, a library containig the classes java-programmers use.
> Its no problem to bundle this library with OOo (its quite small), or 
> even link statically (copy the parts that are actually needed into OOo 
> instead of a seperate library).
>
> > Why have you decided to develop a separate version of OpenOffice? When
> > do you think you will have the first version of OpenOffice using GCJ?
> >  
> As far as I've understood the GNU/Java team is working together with 
> OOo to remove show-stoppers. But for "society" stuff I am devenitifly 
> the wring person ;-)
>
> lg Clemens