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Mono and dotGnu: What's the Point?

Posted by michael on from the fighting-words dept.

joeykiller writes "The Register features an opinion by Neil Davidson, asking 'Mono and dotGnu: What's the point?' Some of the points he raises may seem irrelevant for open source supporters (like why make a C# compiler while Microsoft's is free anyway), but others are thought provoking and maybe a little bit controversial. You may not agree with his opinions, but it's an interesting read anyway."

7 of 493 comments (clear)

  1. bright people doing what they like for free ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... doesnt always mean it makes sense from a resource point of view or from "the big picture". But that is the price with people giving up their own time.

    I, myself, am happy to have the chance to sample some of this work for free. Who am I to judge since I'm not paying?

  2. Motivations by Pedrito · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As a .NET developer, frankly, I don't care what the motivations of Mono develoers or dotGnu developers are. Maybe I should be, but I'm not. I'm building an open source project in .NET and I want Linux, BSD and Mac OS X support (the latter two, hopefully with the help of SSCLI), and frankly, whatever other platforms I can include.

    I don't want to use Java. First of all, I've never used it to develop software. Second of all, every user interface I've ever seen done with Java stinks. Maybe I've been seeing bad examples, but the windows, buttons, and other contols of the Java apps I've seen have an old fashion look and feel to me and I don't care for it. My personal opinion, but for me, that counts for something.

    .NET is a really nice development environment. As much as I don't care for Microsoft, I have to admit that since I adopted C# about a year and a half ago, my production has roughly tripled, maybe more. I've never had ANY technology have that kind of impact on my development before, unless it was the reverse (making me 3 times LESS productive).

    So, whatever the motivation of Mono or dotGnu, I simply want to develop my cross-platform C# apps. That's MY motivation, and that's what matters to me.

  3. Why not support Java then? by meadowsp · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's a more established framework and a lot more cross-platform.

  4. The true question: by happyDave · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think the real point that he's missing is that every project undertaken on Open Source that's a direct response to something that Microsoft is doing is a step in the direction of eliminating barriers to entry. Anything that can be done on an Open Source platform that could previously only have been done in a Closed Source environment is a good thing.

  5. Agreed! We must innovate! by jaywhy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't know why everyone in the open source community feels compelled in chasing behind Microsoft technologies, whether it be Mono or Wine. When I talk to people about the benefits of Linux and open source; I always seem to always mention Apache, Perl, and MySQL. I mention these products not because there based on or copied from Microsoft technology. It's because they are innovative open source projects. These open source projects do well not because there open source; but because there BETTER then there closed source counterparts.

    We shouldn't lag behind and chase Microsoft's coattails. We should instead innovate; create our own .NET our own technologies, and make them BETTER then their closed-source counterparts. That's the only way we win. You cannot win a race by chasing your enemy. You must pull ahead.

  6. Re:He obviously doesn't get it by GeckoX · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Good idea. Take something that is extremely bloated (.NET) that produces extremely bloated and slow programs (C#)
    You have proven with this statement that you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. From someone who is actually using .NET and C#, I can say without a doubt that this statement is pure FUD. Compare the bloat and speed to Java or VB, now where are you at? Now add in all of the other features, like portability, interoperability, ease of development, wonderful design-time tools etc etc... No, it's not as tight, compact and speedy as well written C/C++/Assembly, but if you expect that well, apples and oranges really as they are totally different beasts...right tool for the job and there are a LOT of jobs that .NET and C# are an extremely good choice of tool for.
    --
    No Comment.
  7. Re:Technical Director? by somethinghollow · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'll sum up the article: It'll be a really long an arduous task to be fully compatible with Microsoft's .Net stuff, so don't even try.

    I'm sure Linus would have gotten the same sort of flack when making Linux. But he started the project, and look what it is becoming.

    I think what the guy doesn't see is that not everyone 1) wants to program/compile on Windows (let alone whether they have a copy) and 2) wants to run this supposedly cross-platform language only on Windows.

    It's okay to have dreams of bringing down a monopoly, but the point of an open source project is to have other options. Even if it is a long and arduous task, it still has merit, and should still be done, even if for just another option.

    Now, if Microsoft makes a Linux compiler for .Net and a X11 implementation of Windows.Forms, then the article might have a little more validity. At least then there would be a choice of OSes.