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RPG Ports from AS/400 to Linux?

Posted by Cliff on from the report-program-generator dept.

Spacemonkey asks: "So, IBM has finally ported Linux to run on their veritable plethora of hardware. Sounds like a real solid commitment to OSS, right? Well, the devil's in the details, however. After spending several hours searching on the Internet, I could not find one single implementation of the RPG ? environment on Linux. So IBM really wants to run Linux on their machines, but what if you want to run your AS/400 applications within the Linux space instead of OS400?"

"So now come the other questions, fast and furious:

  • Is it possible to run the RPG environment within Linux?
  • Can it be done on x86 hardware?
  • Are there any legal restrictions on doing the port?
  • If it has been done, where's the beef?
What good is running Linux on a cavalcade of hardware if you can't get to your 'native' applications? If I can get COBOL, then RPG should be just around the corner..."

3 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. Why run RPG? by vertical_98 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Personally I think, RPG is worse than Cobol as far as a programming language goes. It has the complexity (almost) of C and absolutely NONE of the benefits.

    If you are going to make the change from OS/400 to Linux, convert your programs to C or even COBOL as suggested earlier. Or continue running it under OS/400. OS/400 is a fine OS regardless of it not being Linux.
    If you want/need to change to Linux it is for a reason, and that reason is almost surely to be written in C, so make a full change.
    It seems silly to me to change OSes and want to run the exact same programs that (should) run fine under OS/400. Maybe if you could explain WHY you need to change, suggestions would be a little easier.

    Vertical

    --
    72 CD D7 52 D0 7E D8 47 44 91 D5 84 D1 59 F1 A9-This is my 128bit integer. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
    1. Re:Why run RPG? by JabberWokky · · Score: 3, Insightful
      absolutely NONE of the benefits.

      Except massive amounts of code that have been tested for bugs in the region of hundreds of thousands or more manhours.

      --
      Evan

      --
      "$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
  2. Re:YES, NO, MAYBE by Cato · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You need to improve your googling skills - the third item or so on googling for Unibol was http://www.californiasoftware.com/calsw/rvb_unibol 400.htm .

    This is an RPG/400 compiler for Unices including Linux, based on much older Unibol versions (read: mature and reliable!).

    Also, have a look at http://www.well.com/~jax/rcfb/as400.html - links all about Open Source and the AS/400.