Re: JNIPort - is there anyone willing to maintain it?

Colin Sare-Soar <[email protected]> Fri, 3 Oct 2025 20:10:11 +0700 (ICT)
Newsgroups gmane.comp.lang.smalltalk.vwnc,gmane.comp.lang.smalltalk.pharo.user
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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That's all changed today! Cincom have released PUL v9
I've applied for a copy, just waiting for the email now :-)
=20
Colin > On 25/09/2025 00:31 +07 Thomas Sattler <[email protected]> wrote=
:
> =20
> =20
> Joachim,
> =20
> Cincom has basically abandoned the VWNC distribution.  The "latest" versi=
on one can obtain without paying for a license is VW 8.3, which was release=
d in 2017.
> =20
> it's hard to imagine people spending a lot of time and effort enhancing a=
 system that old, when the vendor isn't committed to it.  I'm sure Cincom i=
s committed to the paying customers, but why should we help with that?
> =20
> --Tom
> =20
> =20
>=20
>=20
> On Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 4:36=E2=80=AFAM Joachim Geidel <joachim.geidel@po=
steo.de <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > > Dear fellow Smalltalk=
ers,
> >=20
> > JNIPort is an interface from Smalltalk to the Java VM which was origina=
lly developed by Chris Uppal for Dolphin Smalltalk. It enables Smalltalk ap=
plications to use software written in Java seamlessly, locally and with low=
 overhead, without resorting to network based interfaces like e.g. using mi=
croservices. Documentation is at https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://sites.=
google.com/site/jniport/__;!!DZ3fjg!9JVpDqpxcqz6oMahTzP21-BTpfMxRHsi1HUS30Y=
d6Gm-8j4kRcgBOLmg6z342WonIj_duRg_d-WBWHHLFGX2ohB5doAnD8eNKbqwGQFahg$ .
> >=20
> > I have ported JNIPort to VisualWorks and Pharo, and Ben van Dijk, Adria=
an van Os and Rolf van der Vleuten have ported it to VASt (https://urldefen=
se.com/v3/__https://vastgoodies.com/projects/JNIPort__;!!DZ3fjg!9JVpDqpxcqz=
6oMahTzP21-BTpfMxRHsi1HUS30Yd6Gm-8j4kRcgBOLmg6z342WonIj_duRg_d-WBWHHLFGX2oh=
B5doAnD8eNKbql_CqFlw$ ).
> >=20
> > The last time I really worked on JNIPort was in 2014, if I remember cor=
rectly. Now that I am retired and haven=E2=80=99t written a single line of =
Smalltalk code in five years, I am wondering if there is anybody willing to=
 take over.
> >=20
> > I haven=E2=80=99t had any enquiries about JNIPort since 2020, so the ta=
sk would be easy:
> > - Take over ownership of the documentation site.
> > - Possibly move the source code for the Pharo version to Gitlab (it is =
still in the ancient SmalltalkHub repository).
> > - Optionally integrate any changes from JNIPort users, e.g. when they a=
dapt it to more recent versions of VisualWorks or Pharo. There hasn't been =
any community input since 2017 (or was it 2019?).
> >=20
> > If nobody takes over, then JNIPort will be one of the many abandoned op=
en source projects and disappear sooner or later when SmalltalkHub, the Cin=
com Public Repository and the documentation site are switched off.
> >=20
> > On the other hand, I do not know if there is actually anybody using JNI=
Port. If it has no users, there is no harm in its disappearance, and mainta=
ining it would be a waste of time.
> >=20
> > Cheers
> > Joachim Geidel >=20

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<!doctype html>
<html>
 <head>
  <meta charset=3D"UTF-8">
 </head>
 <body>
  <div>
   That's all changed today! Cincom have released PUL v9
  </div>
  <div class=3D"default-style">
   I've applied for a copy, just waiting for the email now :-)
  </div>
  <div class=3D"default-style">
   &nbsp;
  </div>
  <div class=3D"default-style">
   Colin
  </div>
  <blockquote type=3D"cite">
   <div>
    On 25/09/2025 00:31 +07 Thomas Sattler &lt;[email protected]&gt; wro=
te:
   </div>
   <div>
    &nbsp;
   </div>
   <div>
    &nbsp;
   </div>
   <div dir=3D"ltr">
    Joachim,=20
    <div>
     &nbsp;
    </div>
    <div>
     Cincom has basically abandoned the VWNC distribution.&nbsp; The "lates=
t" version one can obtain without paying for a license is VW 8.3, which was=
 released in 2017.
    </div>
    <div>
     &nbsp;
    </div>
    <div>
     it's hard to imagine people spending a lot of time and effort enhancin=
g a system that old, when the vendor isn't committed to it.&nbsp; I'm sure =
Cincom is committed to the paying customers, but why should we help with&nb=
sp;that?
    </div>
    <div>
     &nbsp;
    </div>
    <div>
     --Tom
    </div>
    <div>
     &nbsp;
    </div>
    <div>
     &nbsp;
    </div>
   </div>
   <br>
   <div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container">
    <div class=3D"gmail_attr" dir=3D"ltr">
     On Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 4:36=E2=80=AFAM Joachim Geidel &lt;<a class=3D=
"keychainify-checked" href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">joachim.geid=
[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:
    </div>
    <blockquote>
     Dear fellow Smalltalkers,
     <br>
     <br>
     JNIPort is an interface from Smalltalk to the Java VM which was origin=
ally developed by Chris Uppal for Dolphin Smalltalk. It enables Smalltalk a=
pplications to use software written in Java seamlessly, locally and with lo=
w overhead, without resorting to network based interfaces like e.g. using m=
icroservices. Documentation is at <a class=3D"keychainify-checked" href=3D"=
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://sites.google.com/site/jniport/__;!!DZ3f=
jg!9JVpDqpxcqz6oMahTzP21-BTpfMxRHsi1HUS30Yd6Gm-8j4kRcgBOLmg6z342WonIj_duRg_=
d-WBWHHLFGX2ohB5doAnD8eNKbqwGQFahg$" target=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noopener">htt=
ps://urldefense.com/v3/__https://sites.google.com/site/jniport/__;!!DZ3fjg!=
9JVpDqpxcqz6oMahTzP21-BTpfMxRHsi1HUS30Yd6Gm-8j4kRcgBOLmg6z342WonIj_duRg_d-W=
BWHHLFGX2ohB5doAnD8eNKbqwGQFahg$</a> .
     <br>
     <br>
     I have ported JNIPort to VisualWorks and Pharo, and Ben van Dijk, Adri=
aan van Os and Rolf van der Vleuten have ported it to VASt (<a class=3D"key=
chainify-checked" href=3D"https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://vastgoodies.c=
om/projects/JNIPort__;!!DZ3fjg!9JVpDqpxcqz6oMahTzP21-BTpfMxRHsi1HUS30Yd6Gm-=
8j4kRcgBOLmg6z342WonIj_duRg_d-WBWHHLFGX2ohB5doAnD8eNKbql_CqFlw$" target=3D"=
_blank" rel=3D"noopener">https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://vastgoodies.co=
m/projects/JNIPort__;!!DZ3fjg!9JVpDqpxcqz6oMahTzP21-BTpfMxRHsi1HUS30Yd6Gm-8=
j4kRcgBOLmg6z342WonIj_duRg_d-WBWHHLFGX2ohB5doAnD8eNKbql_CqFlw$</a> ).
     <br>
     <br>
     The last time I really worked on JNIPort was in 2014, if I remember co=
rrectly. Now that I am retired and haven=E2=80=99t written a single line of=
 Smalltalk code in five years, I am wondering if there is anybody willing t=
o take over.
     <br>
     <br>
     I haven=E2=80=99t had any enquiries about JNIPort since 2020, so the t=
ask would be easy:
     <br>
     - Take over ownership of the documentation site.
     <br>
     - Possibly move the source code for the Pharo version to Gitlab (it is=
 still in the ancient SmalltalkHub repository).
     <br>
     - Optionally integrate any changes from JNIPort users, e.g. when they =
adapt it to more recent versions of VisualWorks or Pharo. There hasn't been=
 any community input since 2017 (or was it 2019?).
     <br>
     <br>
     If nobody takes over, then JNIPort will be one of the many abandoned o=
pen source projects and disappear sooner or later when SmalltalkHub, the Ci=
ncom Public Repository and the documentation site are switched off.
     <br>
     <br>
     On the other hand, I do not know if there is actually anybody using JN=
IPort. If it has no users, there is no harm in its disappearance, and maint=
aining it would be a waste of time.
     <br>
     <br>
     Cheers
     <br>
     Joachim Geidel
    </blockquote>
   </div>
  </blockquote>
 </body>
</html>
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