Re: Article on OpenOffice using GCJ

[Linuxhippy <linuxhippy at web dot de>]

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