Re: GCJ with OpenJDK Java API instead of GNU Classpath

[Andrew Haley <aph at redhat dot com>]

Sal wrote:

> Thanks for all the feedback, I'm glad to hear there are others who seem
> to like the idea as well.  I wasn't sure if this hadn't been started yet
> due to some legal issues, or otherwise.  Sounds like its just something
> that needs a little elbow grease.
> 
> I started some preliminary work - just to get a feel for what might be
> entailed.  What I was thinking as a general plan of attack:
> 
>     1) - Obtain/extract a copy of the Java sources from a
> standard/official Sun release. Just to start working from a clean slate
> since it is an effort towards maximum compatibility. I've noticed that
> not all classes are actually from a simple source-tree extract, some
> are  generated by the build process (so I'm still trying to get through
> this...)

Sure, but once you've done the build you've got everything you need.
Some classes are generated differently, depending on the word size
of the target machine.

>     2) - Isolate a subset of the sources to get gcj-openjdk port
> started. possibly: java.lang.* (and all dependancies) at first, then the
> other fundamental things; java.io.*, java.util.* etc. Although open for
> suggestions here of course.

The core classes and class loaders are all gcj custom and highly
intertwined, so you'd better avoid those.

>     3) - Compile the pieces from 2) with GCJ, add in more packages as
> things build.
> 
>     4) - Somehow, maintain releases for it all as things progress, so
> people can grab current work and collaborate.  I can do so much as to
> zip/upload snapshots when stuff starts working... but maybe others have
> much better ideas or resources here?  I've got a feeling it won't be an
> overnight process, so it would be a big help to allow for as many hands
> on deck as possible.

I think it would probably be best to host this at Sourceforge.  Alternatively,
we could use classpath.org, but that machine is rather heavily loaded
already.

Andrew.