RE: open source rpg compiler -- RPG400-L

The problem with Open Source is not Open Source it is Open Source in the
iSeries world. Nobody contributes to it. Everybody wants the results of it,
but nobody wants to put in the effort to make it happen. We registered
iSeriesOpenSource.com/.org about two years ago, nothing happened. 
Now, there are several people who have websites that have put in a ton of
work on utilities and tools for the OS/400 world. Granted some of them have
included source code. But I have yet to see an Open Source project in the
iSeries market.  

Of course I'd like an RPG IV compiler (which by the was is written in C, not
PL/MI like the old RPGIII compiler is), but I don't see spirit or motivation
behind making it a success. 


Bob Cozzi
Cozzi Consulting
www.rpgiv.com

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of MarkB@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, May 05, 2003 10:14 AM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: RE: open source rpg compiler


I think some of you might underestimate the value of opensourcing  the RPG
compiler, and the opensource community.
There are countless open source projects where the developers have created
binary compatible (to the original) software and libraries WITHOUT ANY form
of specs. An implementation (even in a non-supported, non-compilable
language) could have helped these people out quite a bit.

The open source world is full of developers who love to tinker. Just for
the sake of it. Quite often, the more difficult and obscure a project is,
the more it will draw their attention.

Think it's too obscure?
Here (for example) is someone who wrote an emulator for a Lisp Machine
processor:
http://vlee.sourceforge.net/

Too time consuming?
Open source .net:
http://www.go-mono.com/

Too fruitless?
http://www.kernel.org/
Linux's kernel. It all started with a teenager hacking away in his bedroom.
Andrew Tanenbaum (of Minix fame) even emailed Linux (before any of us knew
what Linux was) and told Linus that his attempts were futile, that the way
of the future was the Microkernel.


Take a good look at what people spend their time doing:
www.sf.net
software.freshmeat.net


My points is someone out there may actually do something with RPG's source
that is useful for me (and you and IBM, etc).
It doesn't have to be one of you that has the time, effort, or sees the
potential value.

-mark




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