freebsd-ports/java/kaffe/pkg-descr

===========================================================================
This is Kaffe, a virtual machine design to execute Java bytecode.
This machine can be configured in two modes.  In one mode it operates as
a pure bytecode interpreter (not unlike Javasoft's machine); in the second
mode if performs "just-in-time" code conversion from the abstract code to
the host machine's native code.  This will ultimately allow execution of
Java code at the same speed as standard compiled code but while maintaining
the advantages and flexibility of code independence.

Running Kaffe
=============
Before running Kaffe it is necessary to configure the environment.
This requires the setting of CLASSPATH, KAFFEHOME and LD_LIBRARY_PATH.
For the standard installation these would be defined as follows:

        CLASSPATH=.:/usr/local/share/kaffe/classes.zip
        KAFFEHOME=/usr/local/share/kaffe
        LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib:/usr/local/lib

A file "ENVIRONMENT" is generated by the configure program which contains
a /bin/sh environment setup.  This may help you to figure out what to
set to what if you alter the standard installation point.

The state of play
=================
Kaffe should run all non-graphical code which will run on a Java
machine.  However there are still bugs and plenty of untested native
library functions.  Some functions which are not currently implemented
(most often because I don't understand exactly what they are suppose to
do) will simply abort if called.  If you can help out on any of these
then please do *BUT* remember, this is a clean-room implementation (I
have never seen any of Sun's Java source code) and I cannot simply
encorporate Javasoft's* code.

For further info see the file README that comes with the distribution.
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* Java and Javasoft are registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.