Re: OT: Common Language Runtime for BSD/Unix/Linux/OS X/etc

[Monty Brandenberg <mcbinc@world.std.com>]

On Tue, 30 Jan 2001, Crist J. Clark wrote:

> On Tue, Jan 30, 2001 at 12:36:46PM -0600, Gunnar Wolf wrote:
> 
> [snip]
> 
> > Why not code in a platform-indepentent, already existing language, such as
> > plain ANSI C, Perl, or whatever you fancy? It works, it exists, it does
> > not depend on MS.
> 
> I have never heard of a ANSI C compiler that can build portable,
> virtual machine code. Does such a thing really exist?

Actually, yes, sort of.  About a decade ago, OSF was pushing proposals
for ANDFs (architecture-neutral distribution formats) and this became
the center of at least one suit against the organization, I believe.
Idea was to compile down to intermediate form, ship the intermediate,
then link on installation.  You can probably find dangling information
on this.  Result was sort of WORA or perhaps WOLA or WOCOLA.

--
Monty Brandenberg, Software Consultant                             MCB, Inc.
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