Mono Project porting. NET applications to Linux

The Open Source Association launched a project designed to migrate the Microsoft. NET platform to Linux through Linux software development company Ximian. This project, called the Mono project, involves creating a development platform that allows people to develop applications for Linux and windows-based. Net. According to Miguel de Icaza, chief technical officer at Ximian, the Mono project was based on the needs of the GNOME community, especially the Ximain company, for an improved development tool.

But the impact of the mono project is far more far-reaching, as these development tools are based on the CLI (Common Language architecture) and Microsoft's C # Implementation standards submitted to the European Computer Manufacturing Association (ECMA). If mono can accomplish the goal of creating a set of Linux development tools based on these standards, developers will be able to write. NET programs that run simultaneously on Windows and Linux, which may even run on other non-Windows operating systems, such as UNIX.

In addition to the actual development process, the tools of the mono project must be completed in-house within the open source community without violating Microsoft's intellectual property patents-which in effect means that developers must reconstruct these tools based on standards and not be able to view any of Microsoft's source code.

The mono project consists of three core sections: a C # language compiler, a CLI, and a class library. The CLI is a virtual machine that contains a classloader, a just-in-time compiler, and a garbage collector for a run-time environment. CLI This component will allow applications written in C # to run on a non-Windows operating system such as Linux. This is similar to how Java virtual machines in the Java world can make an application run on a different operating system.

The Mono project's class library enables applications to perform core tasks such as XML processing, file input and output, and connecting networks. It will be compatible with Microsoft's CLI (closely matched with what Microsoft publishes in the. Net framework), as well as the additional class libraries written by open source groups that will be compatible with the CLI.

Ximian's de Icaza hopes to reach a milestone at the end of the year, when the compiler will be able to compile the class library. Graphical user interface Components--the class libraries needed to create GUI programs--will be completed in the next year.

"The reason we're working on this is because we want to upgrade our development platform to create our evolution desktop apps," De Icazo said. Evolution is the Ximian company's e-mail client and personal and workgroup information management program. "When we see the. Net Framework, we feel that these are the tools that we will use to develop our next generation of products," he said.

Ximian does not consider mono and itself to be a way for Linux developers to catch up with Windows on the available development tools. In fact, Linux developers will prefer to use the tools they currently use to write compiled applications. Ximian will be another open source project, SharpDevelop is used to provide with Microsoft visual Studio. NET is a way of integrating the development environment.

By developing mono in an open source, this project contains a number of people who have extensive interest in the development process. While Ximian may want to find some improved development tools to speed up the development of its applications, other developers may want to find a development tool that allows them to write programs on Windows and then run them on a Linux system.

One of the big questions is how to avoid Microsoft's intellectual property protection. "Our approach to avoiding intellectual property protection is to stick to a non research theme and use existing technology to achieve its function," de Icaza said. For example, the Mono JIT compiler does not use any advanced JIT compiler technology. The reverse mono version is based on the old JIT technology.

De Icaza also claimed that Mono had to "look at the big place" and not just what ECMA stipulated last year. That is, Ximian plans to participate in standard-setting processes and create class libraries to improve the vulnerability of the. Net framework, such as e-mail management.

According to Giga Information Group's deputy analyst Stacey Quandt, Microsoft is unlikely to support mono because its authorization is linked to the GNU General Public Certificate's authorization for C # and the GNU Weak public certificate for the class library and the runtime.

But even if Microsoft does not support the existence of Mono,mono, it confirms that Microsoft is right about the statement that. NET can be ported to other platforms.

Quandt says facing the broader development community is another challenge for mono. IBM and Sun, for example, spend huge sums of money on Java, and it is hard to tolerate competition.