*BSD News Article 99831


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From: geoffrey@beethoven.iavalley.cc.ia.us (geoffrey alexander)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Poor man's Unix?
Date: 17 Jul 97 14:37:07 GMT
Organization: ICN News Server
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"Paul Trimming" <paul.trimming@dial.pipex.com> writes:

>I am a selfemployed programmer writing financial applications in Java on
>Windows. I am relying on the Java promise "Write once, run anywhere.", and
>want to make versions of my software available on the Unix platform. Being
>poor, I can not afford to invest in expensive Unix systems to test my
>product. 

>I was wondering if I could test my programmes on freeBSD and then assume
>that if they run successfully, that they will be compatible with other Unix
>flavours such as SCO. 

>I suppose I am asking just how representative is freeBSD of Unix systems in
>general. 

Well, it's a BSD4.4 -- which is about as standard as they come. You >could<
invest in a Solaris or AIX box and >still< find yourself having problems on
other commercial Unices. That, of course, is what Java is meant to obviate.
Your question should be, is the Java SDK for FBSD (or any Unix)
representative enough a virtual platform upon which to base your
development.

Secondly (although you didn't ask) I wouldn't safely "assume" anything if I
were releasing software -- I'd at least line up beta-testers on different
platforms to test my products, even if I were sure that the one I chose for
development was reasonable standard. Even if you're poor, you can't afford
not to have friends in the industry :).

--
Geoffrey Alexander                    

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