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FreeBSD/Java Native Port Hits Beta

Posted by michael on from the mmm,-java dept.

drdink writes "The long awaited FreeBSD/Java port has hit beta. The port was committed yesterday afternoon by Alexey Zelkin. 'This is complete and close to production quality native JDK with both working client and server native JVMs. Local micro benchmarks shown very little difference between Linux and FreeBSD JVMs in speed.' And more importantly, 'we are very close to passing of Sun TCK tests. Currently about 20 of >27000 tests are known to be broken (tests were run at -STABLE).'"

13 of 55 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Open Source Solaris! by LizardKing · · Score: 5, Informative

    SunOS was originally taken from BSD if I'm correct

    The original SunOS yes, but the modern day Solaris SunOS is actually SVR4 based. Sun have made a lot of changes to their original SVR4 codebase over the years, adding amongst other things, a lot of the best bits from the BSD SunOS.

    Chris

  2. Re:Getting Started with BSD by LizardKing · · Score: 5, Informative

    If I wanted to get started on BSD where is a good place to begin?

    If you want to try NetBSD, then download the ISO image from:

    ftp://ftp.xx.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/iso/1.6/i386c d.iso

    If there's a NetBSD mirror site for your country, then replace the "xx" in the FTP server address with your country code. Failing that, the canonical ftp.netbsd.org server is pretty nippy.

    Then burn the ISO to a CD-ROM, straightforward enough, although if you need extra instructions they can be found here:

    http://www.netbsd.org/Documentation/bootcd.html# cdrecord

    Finally, grab the extremely good NetBSD Guide from:

    http://www.netbsd.org/Documentation/

    Installation should take little more than 20 minutes on modern hardware. Configure the system (little more than editing /etc/rc.conf) and reboot. Then read up on pkgsrc, which is described in the NetBSD guide. This will allow you to install loads of extra software.

    FreeBSD and OpenBSD are equally worth a look, but I find Net just that little bit easier to install and configure.

    Chris

  3. Just to clarify by Larne · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is a native port of JDK 1.4.1, which has indeed been eagerly awaited. High-quality native ports of the JDK 1.3 series have been around for quite some time.

    1. Re:Just to clarify by JKR · · Score: 4, Informative
      We're still waiting for a solid 1.4 release on FreeBSD because of the nonsense requiring X, or at least Xvfb, to be running to support Java graphics calls

      Er, that's exactly what Sun (finally) fixed in 1.4; the ability to run AWT applications "headless" (without X). Finally your app can call Toolkit.getToolkit().beep() and not crash horribly trying to connect to :0...

      Jon.

  4. Re:Open Source Solaris! by cant_get_a_good_nick · · Score: 3, Informative

    Minor quibble: SVR4 itself is an amalgam of SYS5 and BSD. Sun didn't didn't mix them totally on their own, it's part of SVR4.

    But since Sun was trying to transition people to new Solaris 2 (SVR4), they did go above and beyond what the SVR4 spec says, including a porting and analysis kit (search your scripts for BSD commands, substitute SVR4 equivs, I think they checked flags somewhat as well) which was good, but also foisted the horror that is /usr/ucb/cc. Sun also added bits to BSD when SUnOS 4 was around. When folks bitch about how Linux rul3z and Solaris suxx0rs cause they don't give anything back, they need to remember that Sun invented NFS and some other things.

  5. Re:Getting Started with BSD by hmendes_br · · Score: 5, Informative

    Hey, I once had the same idea (and I'm still on BSD until now), so here is a big clue: FreeBSD. This is a robust and fast OS, very well organized. It has a straightforward method for updating (you can *easily* compile the entire system by yourself) , also featuring an extremely easy-to-use and powerful ports system (the way you can install apps... it's much simpler than anything like apt-get or so). Also, on their site you can find a complete, up-to-date and freely available BOOK about using, administrating and getting the best of your system. Try it, I'm sure you would like!!!

    Get the ISO (assuming you have an i386):
    Only first CD is enough

    On the Handbook, you find the installation instructions on the second chapter:
    Here is the link

    Okay, I think it's a good start... Note that if your box is not an i386 you still have options... just search their ftp site

    Another thing, on their site, you can find two versions of the system: 4.7 and 5.0. The 4.7 is still the production release, so the link above is for 4.7. But if you want, you could also install 5.0, but be sure to read this before.

    Good Luck!

  6. Re:Linux bin? by bovinewasteproduct · · Score: 5, Informative

    When Alexey gets all 27,000+ tests passing, Sun stamps it and they get to ship a binary image, instead of making people compile from the source.

    All 1.4.1 source compiles require a working 1.4.1 java compiler. After you have compiled and installed it once, you can set NATIVE_BOOTSTRAP and get rid of the linux bins.

    BWP

  7. Re:Linux bin? by rplacd · · Score: 4, Informative

    SO we stil need to bootstrap off of linux's jdk binary?

    Yes. Presumably once the JDK works on FreeBSD, Sun will merge in the FreeBSD-specific code, and we'll have a version independent of Linux binaries.

    Note that ones this FreeBSD port is complete, you should be a install precompiled JDK binaries. This hasn't been the case in the past because the 1.2/1.3 builds have all been unofficial, and can't be distributed in binary form.

  8. Re:Getting Started with BSD by mbadolato · · Score: 2, Informative

    And FYI, 4.8 is at the RC stage and should be released within the month

  9. Re:Linux bin? by bovinewasteproduct · · Score: 2, Informative

    You lost me there... The three Linux JDKs in the ports tree are BINARY installs, you don't have to compile them.

    You install the binary Linux JDK so you can compile the FreeBSD JDK sources to binary form. After this you can set NATIVE_BOOTSTRAP and get rid of the Linux binary because you now have a FreeBSD binary (but you can't distribute it).

    Once Alexey gets the TCK to pass, and Sun gets them the stamp, then you won't have to compile anything, just install the FreeBSD binary JDK.

    The problem right now is that the FreeBSD Project/Foundation CAN NOT distribute binary JDKs, so you have to compile it yourself, which requires a working compiler...

    BWP

  10. Re:Getting Started with BSD by rsax · · Score: 2, Informative
    FreeBSD Handbook

    NetBSD Handbook

    OpenBSD FAQ

  11. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    > I thought FreeBSD already had a native java in ports. It used the Sun Linux java vm to compile the classes on FreeBSD. See /usr/ports/java/jdk13

    JDK 1.3 and 1.4 are very different things. Most notable differences from internals point of view that in 1.4 only native threading model is supported. And since green_threads support was dropped -- it become much more difficult to port JDK 1.4 anythere.

  12. Freebsd.org by nurb432 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Start there, its the largest and best supported ( meaning for getting help, and hardware support ) BSD out there of the 3 main OSS BSD's..

    You can grab an ISO ( only need disk 1 ) or just install off floppy direct across the wire.

    Plenty of manuals, how-tos, etc.. Plus you dont have to worry about what 'flavor' you are using like with linux.. If it FBSD, its FBSD...

    The others are fine too, thats just my preference.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----