Re: [Help-smalltalk] GNU vs. Squeak vs. VW

[Paolo Bonzini]

> Squeak is probably my leading contender, though it needs some serious
> work before I could use it.  In its favor, it appears to be rock solid. 
> I have yet to uncover an old Squeak image that would not load.  I have
> managed to crash it doing 3D graphics, but even that is rare.

Agreed.

> Squeak's GUI feel is horrible.

Agreed :-)

> Other items such as database connectivity, SSL sockets, etc. are either
> available or are evolving.  My reading about GNU suggests you have at
> least strong starts in many useful areas.

I'll put things straight: DB connectivity is limited to MySQL but Glorp 
is there (ported to MySQL).  It may suffer a little bitrot but nothing 
paramount and it is on my to-do list to fix it.

SSL sockets are not there though I think that GnuTLS bindings are not 
hard to do.  Seaside may come at next Camp Smalltalk, though I won't 
swear anything until I see it.

> Re GNU, licensing is of some concern.  I have seen some
> softening/clarification of the terms to favor proprietary software. 

Yes, that's mostly related to not worry writers of proprietary software 
that use bindings to external libraries.

> Are you at all interested in stretching GNU Smalltalk to compete with VW
> as a platform for building GUI software?  Putting that question to the
> Squeak community yields answers such as "don't break our toy, "

My answer is: this is free software developed by volunteers.  I had 
better concentrate *my* free-time energies to produce something 
concrete, and that turns out to be a headless tool.  But if somebody 
wants to *add* something more, I'm all good with that and (lo and 
behold) RMS happens to desire that more than having a great headless 
Smalltalk!

My only sort of "request" would be to have a mechanism to aid 
re-exporting as files the stuff developed in graphical environments. 
Right now the browser is mostly used as a "browser", but if people start 
using it more I'd say it would become more important.

Anyway, let's not make it a "vs." as I believe that everything has its 
own unique place in the world.

> The caveat would be that I need to be able to maintain
> ownership of and even sell things that are unique to my work while
> helping to improve the open system.

Please clarify, though I am pretty positive that there is nothing to 
worry about.

Paolo