[csw-maintainers] Java... again!

[James Lee]

On 16/11/08, 20:29:07, Dagobert Michelsen <dam at opencsw.org> wrote regarding 
Re: [csw-maintainers] Java... again!:

> > I wouldn't mind having a "latest" symlink too, but then we need a
> > way to
> > figure out if a package is "newer" than another (like, if I install
> > CSWjdk6 and then CSWjdk5, I don't want the symlink to be overwritten).

> Is it really useful to have a just-the-latest-I-don't-care-Java?

I've yet to find anything that didn't work with the latest - and
work better.  (Not counting certification issues.)

It's possible to build low version compatibility with "-source" and
"-target".


> I would imagine it would be best to have an apache-like configuration:
> The Java software maintainers (e. g. Tomcat) chooses the build jre
> and depends on that.

In fact Tomcat will need a JDK because it uses tools.jar.

If we have packages that depend on both the JRE and JDK we end up with
2 JREs.  A JDK packs a JRE so the CSW dependency based delivery model
should follow this: JDK requires JRE.

We have a fundamental problem with update and Java.  As Java is an
"environment", dependent packages that run as servers need restarting
when java is updated.  (This is also affects libraries that are updated
and (fail to) support running servers.)



James.