Java for Linux on Sparc?

elzbal · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2003 5:13 am Post subject: Java for Linux on Sparc?

I will soon be inheriting an Ultra 2 (2x400Mhz with gobs of RAM), and wanted to replace my current Solaris-based SparcStation 20 (2x100MHz, 128MB RAM - Web, DNS, sometimes-FTP). My main decision for this is... which OS should I use for the new server? Solaris or Gentoo Linux?

I do a fair amount of stuff with Java, including some J2EE. My website is primarily JSP, and I was considering switching my mail system to Apache's James (the Java-based mail server) when it gets decent IMAP support. Therefore, a major part of my decision will be the state of the Java tools available for my OS of choice.

Of course, Solaris/Sparc has a good JDK/JRE available from Sun. I don't know much about the Java options for Linux/Sparc, however. Neither Sun nor IBM seem to have offerings for Java on this platform. Blackdown seems to have a solution, but I have not heard that the Blackdown JDK is all that mature yet (although it's been a while since I really looked at it). Are there other projects out there worth considering?

I've heard that Linux/Sparc is faster than Solaris/Sparc, but I don't want to make the upgrade if a slow or unreliable Java engine is going to pull me back down. A quick search on the forums (everyone seems to recommend a USE flag of '-java') and on Google does not leave me with a lot of hope...

So... please help me make my choice... what can you tell me about the Java solutions for Linux? Are they up to par with the Solaris solution? Do they have the same performance? The same features? Can it use the J2EE and other packages/features released from Sun?

Thanks in advance...

ragnoroc · n00b Joined: 08 May 2003 Posts: 49 Location: Columbus, OH

The java on Linux was not so good for a while.

Blackdown was needed for the jre.

When SUN released JRE 1.4.2 it fixed almost all the problems. The new jre and jdk have better system intergration as well as browser intergration. I use it currently and I have not had any of the slowdowns and problems.

Read up on it on java.sun.com . Most people I talked to did not even know they updated it, let alone that it is better then blackdown.

But that is just my opinion, I could be wrong.

elzbal · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2003 6:46 pm Post subject:

I know Sun's Java is reasonably good on Linux/x86, but as far as I can tell, it does not work on Linux/Sparc. That platform does not seem to be listed on their Supported Platforms page... The only Sparc platform they support is Solaris/Sparc.

Blademan · Developer Joined: 05 Oct 2002 Posts: 116

That is correct:

erik.crouch · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2003 5:59 am Post subject:

And, if memory serves, they had no intention of making a compatible version for their own hardware (yes i'm captain obvious)

:roll:

Erik