etoys implementation

[Bert Freudenberg]

Am 25.06.2008 um 20:00 schrieb Yoshiki Ohshima:

>>>> There's also a warning at http://wiki.squeak.org/squeak that if you
>>>> want to run eToys, you need to run a different version of Squeak  
>>>> than
>>>> everybody else.
>>>>
>>>
>>>  *That* is Etoys.  What is wrong with it?
>>>
>> Just out of curiosity:
>> Exactly how is it different from vanilla squeak? (If there is such a
>> thing at all.)
>
>  Whichever two images you would like to compare (why not write
> "Squeak"?), launch two images and evaluate:
>
>  Smalltalk condenseSources.
>
> or equivalent in them.  Each of image will make a .sources file so you
> get two .sources file.  Then, use diff (perhaps you might want to
> convert CR to LF before that) to see the difference.
>
>> Is it a different VM, or just a different distribution since it has a
>> different binary blob?
>
>  The VM is well synchronized with the trunk VM.  They were identical
> a few weeks ago.  We now have a few more patches in the OLPC VM branch
> but it is not significant.  The VM is a separeted rpm BTW.
>
>  Why do you refer it to as "binary blob"?


I guess because others referred to the image as that, without  
understanding what it actually is, and how it comes across as  
derogatory.

Anyway, to give a bit of background:

A version of Etoys is still in the squeak.org version, but it is not  
really maintained there. The vast majority of the squeak.org hacker  
community is not interested in Etoys, so there is some bit rot. Things  
gets changed by people who do not use Etoys, accidentally breaking it  
(due the historical lack of modularity that Yoshiki mentioned). The  
VPRI-sponsored programmers lack the man-power to both develop Etoys  
and follow the squeak.org releases at the same time. Also they are  
under time pressure because VPRI will stop to fund Etoys development  
soon (VPRI is developing the next system but it will be a couple of  
years until that is ready).

I understand that the nature of Smalltalk development seems strange to  
others (although it has a really nice community), but it is nothing to  
fear. Maybe if Etoys was developed by more popular means there would  
be more contributors. But that remains speculation, since why hasn't  
then someone developed something similar using a popular language?

- Bert -