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Running .NET on FreeBSD?

Posted by michael on from the fish-riding-a-bicycle dept.

Dan writes "Interesting read on running .NET on FreeBSD. Chip Morton thinks this could be very beneficial to FreeBSD or any OS to have a fully functional .NET CLR (Common Language Runtime) environment. With over 9,000 files, and including some 1300 public classes to pore through, the Shared Source CLI (Common Language Infrastructure) can teach you quite a bit about the internal workings of the CLR. This relevant MSDN article discusses some of the things you can learn from the source code facsimile of the CLR, like how JIT compilation works. One thing that the CLI specification does not mandate is that managed code has to run on Windows. To prove this point, Microsoft built the Shared Source CLI to compile and run on FreeBSD Unix as well as Windows XP."

36 comments

  1. Old News by Mark+Pitman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And this is news because???? The article on MSDN was posted in July of 2002! Is there something new about Rotor on BSD that I am missing?

    1. Re:Old News by glenstar · · Score: 2, Informative

      Unfortunately...no. And to add insult to injury, I found it impossible to actually build Rotor on FreeBSD (most likely something with my system configuration). However, Mono compiles flawlessly, so if you want to go that route it works very well.

  2. There has got to be a catch.. by override11 · · Score: 1, Interesting

    You can only run .net on BSD if you are emulating it under a licensed Windows .Net Server

    Anyone else this there is going to be some kind of gotcha??

    --
    No I didnt spell check this post...
    1. Re:There has got to be a catch.. by REBloomfield · · Score: 2, Interesting
      no catch! this is actually the point of the .NET framework, right once, run anywhere, what Java tried, and never quite achieved :(

      The only 'catch' is that there needs to be a native virtual machine, which most platforms (apart from MS) don't have yet, but check out the Mono project for a Linux implementation.

    2. Re:There has got to be a catch.. by rplacd · · Score: 2, Informative

      Mono works on FreeBSD-i386. I've been using it off and on for several months.

      The only real "catch" is the Windows.Forms libraries (this affects mono on Linux as well). You basically need Wine or something for them. Otherwise, for GUI stuff, you can use gtk#.

    3. Re:There has got to be a catch.. by Arandir · · Score: 2, Informative

      what Java tried, and never quite achieved

      And of course, .NET hasn't achieved it either. Same overblown hype different framework.

      --
      A Government Is a Body of People, Usually Notably Ungoverned
    4. Re:There has got to be a catch.. by evronm · · Score: 1
      Otherwise, for GUI stuff, you can use gtk#
      Any experience with this? Is it anywhere near ready for prime time?
      --
      Follow the adventures of the new wandering jews
    5. Re:There has got to be a catch.. by f00zbll · · Score: 1
      I hope you don't really think there's no catch. It doesn't matter what language or platform you choose, there's always a catch. The catch may not be relevant to your project, but there's always a catch.

      There's still alot of catches in there, like how would ADO.NET work? Yes, I know ADO.NET isn't part of CL and is a library build on .NET. You have to ask yourself, "How am I going to connect to a database? What kind of databases have ADO.NET support? How can I leverage existing libraries written in other languages? Does it provide robust server threading model? Are there starndard API's for server management? Are there webservers written to take advantage of .NET on non-windows OS?"

      There's a catch alright. About several hundred catches.

    6. Re:There has got to be a catch.. by slick_rick · · Score: 1
      right once, run anywhere, what Java tried, and never quite achieved :(
      Stop modding the FUD up. The last time I checked Java ran on everything from stamp to Windows, Linux, Solaris, Macintosh, Palm, even OS/2.

      So what does .NET run on? Windows, Linux, maybe BSD. And even then the GUI stuff isn't portable (by design BTW).

      DONT SPREAD THE FUD. Java is far more portable then .NET ever will be.
      --
      apt-get install redhat please god - Me (take it easy, I love Debian)
  3. A good community member! by jsse · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    MS has finally decide to give back to the community after all these years of plunder, loot and pilllage out of *BSD. Good work!

  4. There's already a Unix like JVM out there by DrSkwid · · Score: 2, Informative

    Lucent made a product called Inferno

    http://www.vitanuova.com/inferno

    it virtualizes the whole of the OS, not just a few APIs

    it had a graphics context as well

    it hijacks the hosted environment, running in a window or runs natively on hardware either way they are the same.

    Socket programming, pah who needs it, all we need are file descriptors and auto-selecting files

    it's all there

    the source code is only available for a fee

    it's really what Java & .NET should be but they aren't and it is

    --
    There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
  5. The real reason for this, of course... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is because Microsoft needs FreeBSD to run Hotmail's backend.

  6. get yer hands out of my server closet by ubiquitin · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Call me skeptical, but did occur to anyone else that Microsoft picked FreeBSD because
    1) they despise the GPL for what it represents and
    2) Mono is being developed on Linux?

    Don't get me wrong, I run several FreeBSD servers and prefer the ports system over RPM. It just unnerves me when the Microsoft marketing machine starts mucking around on my chosen platform.

    As a postscript, you all should be aware that PHP may well become the best platform for deploying .NET. Here's why and here's why this is irrelevant.

    --
    http://tinyurl.com/4ny52
    1. Re:get yer hands out of my server closet by Realistic_Dragon · · Score: 1

      "Don't get me wrong, I run several FreeBSD servers and prefer the ports system over RPM."

      Linux has now stolen the ports system and done a pretty good job of it becuase RPM does indeed fellate not only donkeys, but dead donkeys.

      I will not be kicking BSD off my server any time soon, but for a desktop Gentoo (and indeed Source Mage, Lunar Linux, the no-longer-GPL Sourcery, and to a lesser extent Debian) is pretty polished.

      --
      Beep beep.
  7. And why are we dignifying .NET ?? by mnmn · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    .NET is dying. Its OS has been renamed Windows 2003 for a reason. Everyones building Javabeans for J2EE, backed by heavyweights like IBM and Oracle and Sun. Why is the most distant-from-Microsoft OS dignifying .NET now?

    Next they will release the gcsp compiler.. for C#. sourceforge.NET will have a new meaning. Heck I even keep away from C++, building even GUIs with ANSI C 99 with function pointer arrays. Stick to traditions!

    --
    "Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." -Nim Chimpsky
    1. Re:And why are we dignifying .NET ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who says it is dying? Just because you have been too lazy to get off your butt and look into it, it doesn't mean that your hopes of .NET just going away are coming true.

      I know you *WISH* it was dying, but all evidence is that it is gaining ground. And one day, it will come bite you in the butt because of your arrogance. That day will probably be when you are out there looking for a job.

      That is, if you are even a programmer, or just a troll sysadmin.

    2. Re:And why are we dignifying .NET ?? by mnmn · · Score: 1

      OK, even if it IS gaining ground,(which is not my belief), why should we still dignify a proprietary protocol there? If what you say is true (doubt it), .NET might be gaining ground through the help of unsure programmers looking around for APIs of the richest corporations that wont disappear in the next 5 years. Youre contributing to the viscious cycle, in favor of a monopolizing power, using one of the freeest operating systems.

      --
      "Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." -Nim Chimpsky
    3. Re:And why are we dignifying .NET ?? by magadass · · Score: 1

      Your a fucken idiot... I can tell you one thing for sure .NET will overtake Sun's bullshit excuse for a language (Java) and incorporate it into many other operating systems in the such. Stuck in proprietary? Dude WTF do you think Java is? SUN is proprietary just as Microsoft, hell Sun even takes people to court left and right to protect their precious Java. Ok back to what I was talking about. .Net is gaining superior ground, most government agency's are switching over to .Net and dropping Java and I know this for a fact. Also Huge corporations like mine (HP) for instance are asking the majority of their employees to get .Net certified. Java is loosing its foothold! Why? #1: Backwards compatability between Runtime versions is Horrible!! a program will work in version 1.3.1 but wont work in 1.3.5 or any versions there after!
      #2: It is slower than hell!!
      #3: SUN itself is losing its foot in the market. Only holding about 3% of the market share now for server related products!

      My key points and you can fight them all you want.. But one thing stand clear is that you have a clounded view on things and are refusing to take yur head outta yur ass to take a look at the big picture and with yur racist outlook towards Microsoft it seems you will not likely have much of a career left if you have one at all...

      --
      "If I was smarter I could rule the world!"
    4. Re:And why are we dignifying .NET ?? by sdkone · · Score: 1

      Proprietary? When did we start talking about the JVM?

      ISO/IEC CLI standard

      But then you did call the CLI/.NET a "protocol" so I'm guessing you're not too overstocked in the clue department anyways...

    5. Re:And why are we dignifying .NET ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1. It is spelled "fucking" not "fucken".
      2. ".Net is gaining superior ground" I think this should be "gaining ground" with superior elsewhere in the sentence. I won't explain why, that is left as an exercise for you to figure out.
      3. It is not "agency's": it is not possessive, it is plural. And no, most aren't dropping Java in favor of .NET.
      4. It is spelled "losing" not "loosing".
      5. It should be "won't".
      6. What exactly is the speed of hell? This is incoherent as well as unscientific. Please use a metric that all the readers can relate to, not just the Satan worshippers and Satan haters.
      7. Microsoft has a 97% share of server related products? They don't even have 50% of the servers out there. Back this up with some real research and hard data, please.
      8. It should be "stands clear" not "stand clear".
      9. It is spelled "clouded" not "clounded".
      10. It is "your" not "yur", and I don't care if that is what you intended to type.
      11. Microsoft isn't a member of any specific race, so one can't be "racist" towards Microsoft. One can react with prejudice towards them, but one cannot commit an act of "racism" against them.

      As for your "points" as you call them:
      1. This is somewhat true, but I have worked on so much Visual C++ code that wouldn't work from VC4 to VC5 that your argument falls flat. I do not believe that .NET won't go through modifications, and if you do, you are way too trusting, and more than a bit naive.
      2. The speed of Java has been improved, and for most applications, especially those that make use of Beans or EJBs, this is not an issue. The speed of most apps I have written using EJBs is either as good as or better than any client-server software I have seen written in VB.
      3. See #7 above. This is purely a "Microsoft rules but I don't know why" type of claim. Put up some data (that means a link or two), and make sure it isn't a "study" that was sponsored by Microsoft.

      You need to control the "knee-jerk" reactions, and think more before you type.

    6. Re:And why are we dignifying .NET ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1. It is spelled "fucking" not "fucken".
      2. ".Net is gaining superior ground" I think this should be "gaining ground" with superior elsewhere in the sentence. I won't explain why, that is left as an exercise for you to figure out.
      3. It is not "agency's": it is not possessive, it is plural. And no, most aren't dropping Java in favor of .NET.
      4. It is spelled "losing" not "loosing".
      5. It should be "won't".
      6. What exactly is the speed of hell? This is incoherent as well as unscientific. Please use a metric that all the readers can relate to, not just the Satan worshippers and Satan haters.

      After reading this insightful analysis of whether or not .NET is dying, how could I possibly disagree with you?

    7. Re:And why are we dignifying .NET ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I didn't say it was dying.
      As for listening, you should learn to listen. It would only help someone like you ("you people").
      In the future, quote the entire article, not just the part you don't like. You left off the part where I made counterpoints to your points, and you offered no alternative answers, no rebuttals, and, most distressing, no resistance. Sarcasm does not count.
      And to answer your question, you can't possibly disagree with me! :D

    8. Re:And why are we dignifying .NET ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That seems like a good rebuttal of the previous, and rather brainless, post, IMHO. Plus that dude is right, he never said .NET was dying.

  8. Hotmail doesnt run on FreeBSD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Case Study on the migration of hotmail to Windows 2000

    1. Re:Hotmail doesnt run on FreeBSD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      That is all nice and well, but Microsoft still uses and runs FreeBSD internally.
      All you have to do is visit Netcraft to find proof for my claim.
      It is very easy to confirm.

  9. Re:Easy de-compilation? by Casca1 · · Score: 1

    All so Bill can say "MS Owns your *BSD"

  10. Re:Easy de-compilation? by Beetjebrak · · Score: 1

    The BSD license permits him to do this already.

    1. Download freebsd ISO-file
    2. rename to MS_BSD.ISO
    3. Profit?

    --
    Learn from the mistakes of others. There isn't enough time to make them all yourself.
  11. how do you explain this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    it was a joke. sometimes people don't get these things. sorry about that.

  12. .NetBSD? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Does that make this .NetBSD?

  13. Rotor is nice, but Mono is much nicer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't have any benchmarks for you, but I've run both Rotor and Mono on FreeBSD and found the latter much faster and much less buggy. It's nice that MS is making the effort to experiment on alternative platforms (particularly one that still forms a piece of the Hotmail infrastructure -- though I think the whole Rotor thing is borne more out of the researcher's intellectual curiosity). One interesting point though, even though Mono is still a long way from complete installing and using it was a breath of fresh air after struggling with Java on FreeBSD (among other platforms). Sun and the Java community still have alot of work to do in the areas of version control, performance and "packaging". No one should get too confident in Java's future.

  14. Wouldn't it be...? by jo_ham · · Score: 1

    "All your *BSD are belong to us" ?

    never mind..