Submitted by “Previously, Java had been made available for OS/2 and eComStation by IBM, Golden Code and Innotek. However, new versions with many changes and improvements have been released since then and current applications require a current JVM implementation. The new project will port such a current JVM to OS/2 and eComStation. Dmitry Kumenov, who is well-known for his work on the Qt 3 and 4 ports, has been hired as chief developer. Funding is provided by several companies and individuals, with Mensys BV being the main sponsor.”
It is definitely possible, the BSD people have pulled this off, and it has been done before by Innotek. But I cannot stop wondering why? The WSEB kernel is closed-source and owned by IBM. They do not have a real interest in supporting OS/2 for the general public, except for the few customers that they still have. The architecture is not going to move, and will slowly become obsolete.
If people like the Workplace Shell and API so much, port it to another environment (BSD or Linux) where it can shine… I know that such an effort is underway. And you’ll get Java for free…
I heard somewhere that many banking terminals still use OS/2 and eComStation. Modern Java support would theoretically ease the transition to something newer and better, be it on the server or the client side.
Also, as a desktop OS, it would surely be nice to have access to the repository of desktop Java software, which is unquestionably much larger and more up-to-date than anything else in the OS/2 world. Eclipse in particular, being an IBM project and all, seems like a prime example.
As more and more applications are being developed in Java, having an up-to-date Java Virtual Machine becomes a rapid way to access such recent applications. This is a worthwhile path to renew the interest in the platform and get a few developers back into native development for OS/2 and eConStation (and also the OS/2 recreation projects).