Transcript Java Development

European Organisation of Nuclear Research
Geneva - Switzerland
Going to a “Linux only” operational world…
The consequences for AB/CO/AP
Eric Roux – AB/CO/AP
Outline
Assuming the operational platform is LINUX, what is the impact on:
Java applications
Java on Windows & Linux, exactly the same behavior ?
• Consequences on the development phase
• Applications deployment
•
C/C++ applications
Launching HP-UX applications on Linux consoles
• Linux Windows Manager choice for X-Motif application
•
MS Windows applications
•
Launching MS windows applications using the “passerelle” from Linux
13 May 2004
ER -AB/CO/AP
2
Impact on java applications
Java on Windows & Linux, exactly the same behavior ?
Even if the interpreter versions are exactly the same and
coming from the same provider, the 100% Java portability is a
myth when it comes to GUIs.
•
•
This problem does not affect non-graphical Java developments.
•
Main Look problems:
Font mapping is never one to one.
Readability problems of text on disable components
•
Main Feel problems:
GUI behavior dependent of the used windows manager.
Printing problems with some applications (i.e. JDeveloper)
13 May 2004
ER -AB/CO/AP
3
Impact on java applications
Consequences on the development phase ?
•
The PS Experience:
PS Java developers are able to write and run Java GUI applications
from MS Windows and Linux platforms.
• The same tools are recommended for both platforms
• The access to the Linux NFS repository is done via a Samba server
from the MS Windows world.
• The support of the Linux & MS Windows development environment
should be passed to IN.
•
Developing & running Java GUI applications on different
environments is increasing the work in terms of:
•
testing phase: a solution should be provided to validate Java
graphical applications from any environment in an operational
test environment.
• maintenance, each time we have to switch to a new version of
IDE, JDK, or window manager version under Linux.
•
13 May 2004
ER -AB/CO/AP
4
Impact on java applications
Applications deployment
Independently of the operational platform choice, the
application deployment will be done by Java web Start.
•
•
From our experience and tests we have remarked that:
It decreases significantly the launch time.
We see that it still consumes a lot of time as Java Web Start
searches its configuration files in the user home directory
which is in AFS. This requires further investigation.
13 May 2004
ER -AB/CO/AP
5
Impact on C/C++ applications
•
Launching HP-UX applications on Linux consoles
They can continue to be launched on a remote HP machine using
“rsh” from the YACOMA console manager until the backend servers
are migrated to Linux.
•
Linux Windows Manager choice for X-Motif applications
Our requirements to IN:
The choice of the Windows manager should be done such that it will
facilitate the running of our all our GUI application (X-Motif & Java).
• It should support the same facilities as exist under Windows (copy/paste,…)
•
13 May 2004
ER -AB/CO/AP
6
Impact on MS Windows applications
Launching MS windows applications using the “passerelle” from Linux
All MS Windows applications (including “passerelle” applications) can still
be launched from Linux using the rdesktop service.
•
In a few words, rdesktop is to Linux what Exceed is to MS
Windows machines. It opens a remote desktop on a MS
Windows server machine in a windows under the Linux
platform.
•
rdesktop is provided freely with the Red Hat Linux
distributions but is not guarantee to work forever as it relies on
MS windows communication protocols.
•
13 May 2004
ER -AB/CO/AP
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Main Points
Java GUIs Look & Feel differences on Windows and Linux.
Linux as an operating console environment increasing development
time if GUI development remains on Windows.
Transfer the support of Java development environment to IN.
Performances issues using Java Web Start for deployments under
Linux must be solved.
Confirm existing X-Motif application run on Linux consoles.
MS windows applications can be launched from Linux using rdesktop
13 May 2004
ER -AB/CO/AP
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