Re: Open Source RPG ? -- MIDRANGE-L

I am actually with David on this. We don't have the user base to keep a
project of this caliber going. Look at some of the other open-source things
we have been working on. Where have they gone? TN5250 is the only one that I
see that has been still running and being developed in the 5 years I have
been on this list. (Has it really been 5 years?)

On 4/12/06, David Gibbs <david@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Pat Barber wrote:
> > Very well said David. I have often wondered just exactly what
> > business in their right mind would actually use "open source"
> > for anything other than "just looking".
>
> Actually, that's not my point.
>
> On the iSeries, we are dependent on the system staying the same ... or
> at least being 100% compatible with previous versions.
>
> If the compiler suddenly became variable, then there's a chance we
> couldn't depend on it.
>
> Don't get me wrong ... I think open source is a wonderful thing ... it's
> encourages collaboration and peer review.  I depend on open source
> software heavily.  ALL of midrange.com runs on open source software.
>
> There is absolutely no reason a company shouldn't use open source
> software ... so long as they are confident in a) Their ability to self
> diagnose and support it (which isn't bad, if they have people that
> understand the mechanism and have the source), b) their vendors ability
> and willingness to support the product, or c) the community that uses,
> maintains, and enhances the project.
>
> Unfortunately, there's always the chance that someone will take a
> version of an open source project, fork it, and start developing their
> own version.  That's fine if that person is going to support that
> version on an ongoing basis.
>
> Redhat, Suse, etc, are doing a fine job with that ... but they largely
> depends on the community to find & fix bugs.
>
> With RPG, we're all dependent on IBM doing the job of making sure
> everything works the way it's supposed to (and a fine job they do, too).
>
> If RPG were open sourced ... then we would be dependent on the community
> finding & fixing bugs (I'm sure IBM would be part of that community),
> but could we be assured that the version of the O/S compiler that is
> released has been fully tested by IBM to ensure it's compatible.
>
> I guess my point comes down to assurance of quality.  If the IBM would
> continue to certify the compiler the way they have been, then maybe
> making it a O/S project isn't that bad an idea.  But I still have my
> doubts that the community would be big enough and active enough to
> provide the necessary level of peer review and collaboration.
>
> A few things to note ...
>
> 1. IBM hasn't released the source modifications it made to Apache2 http
> server for the iSeries, even though Apache http server is an open source
> project.
>
> 2. Last time I checked, Sun hadn't released the source for the Java
> compiler.
>
> > I'm sure this whole open source thing has some great value,
> > but to actually create a complete system written with a
> > language that "might" or "might not" have support sounds like
> > insanity to me.
>
> Again, it depends on the development community that is willing to invest
> time and effort into the project.
>
> . If the community is big enough, there is no problem.  Look at Linux,
> gcc, apache, etc.
>
> . If the community is NOT big enough, then you've got problems. Case in
> point: htdig, the search engine I use on midrange.com's archives.  This
> is a fine application and does a good job ... but it's languishing ...
> and hasn't been updated in years.  The developer community that is
> willing to work on it just isn't big enough.
>
> Sorry if I rambled ...
>
> david
>
>


--
Mike Wills
koldark@xxxxxxxxx
http://mikewills.name
http://theriverbendpodcast.com

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