GNU Java vs. Sun Java: What's the difference, what is better?

[Gilles Gravier]

Dotan,

Java isn't just a language... it's a platform. If it was only a 
language, you'd be stuck with having to compile it for a specific target 
environment / CPU / OS... but since it's a complete platform, that 
includes the specifications of a very well defined execution 
environment, when you compile your Java source, the resulting bytecode 
is capable of running on any machine that has the proper runtime 
environment.

Now this is where it gets complicated... some runtime environments don't 
run all Java applications. For example, take something that does a lot 
of fancy things, like AppGate's MindTerm SSH applet/application (you can 
download it - sources and binaries - from 
http://www.appgate.com/products/80_MindTerm/index.php ) run nicely in 
any of Sun's Java runtimes (at least anything above version 1.2)... But 
fails to run on GNU Java. I must say I haven't investigated completely, 
but my guess is that either GNU Java implements some classes differently 
than the spec says... or doesn't implement all the classes.

In any case (and particularly now that we've open-sourced it) I 
recommend going for Java 1.6 from Sun 
(http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp), either in source 
form... or in binary form. In any case, it's GPLed and will fit nicely 
next to a Linux kernel.

Gilles (caveat : I work for Sun - Gilles.Gravier at Sun.com)

Dotan Cohen wrote:
> On 28/12/06, Derek Broughton <news at pointerstop.ca> wrote:
>   
>> Of course that's correct - but you were telling us that "normal" users know
>> what programming languages are and would know what Java is with respect to
>> computers.  Normal users don't and couldn't care less.
>>     
>
> I stand by my opinion that normal computer users know that Java _is_ a
> language. They also know that C is a language. We may vary in our
> definition of normal, and you may argue that the majority of computer
> users are not in fact normal, but the "normal" users do know that.
>
> Like cars, computers are powerful tools. Like cars, computers require
> a bit of knowledge before one can operate it properly. And users
> without that knowledge are dangerous, both in operating cars and in
> operating computers. The normal user has the minimum basic knowledge
> to operate the computer and understand it. That might not be the
> majority, however, and that is sad (and dangerous).
>
> Dotan Cohen
>
> http://what-is-what.com/what_is/xmp.html
> http://technology-sleuth.com/technical_answer/what_is_hdtv.html
>
>   

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