[kaffe] Re: Linux Kongress 2003 in Saarbruecken, Germany

[Sascha Brawer]

Dalibor Topic <robilad at kaffe.org> wrote on Mon, 14 Jul 2003 21:05:33 +0200:

>Mark Wielaard has already said that I'd like the next free software java 
>develeper meeting to be in Saarbruecken, which hosts the Linux Kongress 
>from October 14 to October 16, 2003. I hope we can use this Kongress as 
>an oppportunity to present the current state of free java 
>implementations to a broader audience. And of course to have a BOF 
>session, a couple of drinks and a good time.

Here's a draft for an extended abstract, see below. Any comments? Would
anyone be interested in doing the talk together? (I think that would be
good, because otherwise my contribution to Classpath might appear larger
than it actually is).  IMHO, it would be great if there also were
separate talks about the VMs.

Also, would anyone be interested in a BoF session about Java graphics?
What other talks/BoFs do people have in mind?

Best,

-- Sascha

Sascha Brawer, brawer at dandelis.ch, http://www.dandelis.ch/people/brawer/ 

PS: Dalibor has sent the call for papers both to kaffe at kaffe.org and
classpath at gnu.org, which is why I am sending this to both. But I guess we
probably should have the discussion on the classpath list.


==============================================================

GNU Classpath -- Freedom for Java [FIXME: Is the title too snappy?]

Java has become the tool of choice for many software developers. 
Although good marketing was probably a big, if not the most important
factor to Java's success, there also exist technical properties which
make the combination of language and associated class libraries a very
attractive platform.

In this talk, we explain why we think that Java is good for writing free
software. After briefly reviewing some projects for free Virtual
Machines, the main section discusses the current state of GNU Classpath.

The goal of GNU Classpath is to implement the class library of the Java
platform. Due to the richness of that library, GNU Classpath is a very
large and ambitious project. But this very richness also means that Free
Software developers can use a reasonably well designed, object-oriented
framework that covers more most needs of a typical application. Because
Java is accepted by the mainstream, many developers are already familiar
with the framework, which means that they can quickly write free software.

GNU Classpath has made much more progress than many might think. In a
live demonstration, we refute the widespread belief that it would not be
possible to run large Java projects in an entirely free environment.

Nonetheless, many important parts are still missing. The talk thus
concludes by showing how volunteers can contribute to GNU Classpath, and
in which areas help would be most appreciated.