Python and Industry, IBM I'm afraid

[Simon B.]

In article <mailman.979631000.28993.python-list at python.org>,
  "Tim Peters" <tim.one at home.com> wrote:
> [Pete]
> > Has anyone ported Python to IBM iSeries 400?...Or is this
> > considered too much hassle, because they are big fat trucks
> > of servers - and come bundled with no GUI support (they have
> > had posix for many years)?...Or are people waiting for Linux
> > support in a logical OS partition?...Or does no one care?
>
> A Python port to platform X, regardless of X, is almost always done
by some
> user of X who wants to run Python on X, and usually working alone.
That's
> how things work in any project without revenue to pay for a port
(don't know
> whether you've used Python, but if you have and someone charged you
for it,
> you were suckered bigtime).
>
> I don't know whether there are any Python ports to IBM iSeries 400,
but, if
> there aren't, that would be because no IBM iSeries 400 user bothered
to port
> it.  In which case, you'll have to ask them what their hangup is --
or ask
> IBM why they don't think it's worth their time to make a port
available.
> Note that Intel and Microsoft cared enough to pay ActiveState for a
Win64
> Python port.  So there's more than one way to get a port done, but
the only
> way that's free requires a volunteer.

The subject of porting Python to the iSeries 400 (better known as the
AS/400) has come up before - do a deja search on 'AS/400' in c.l.py,
and you'll find quite a few hits.

Its not a case of not being bothered - I'd *love* to get Python going
on the '400. The main issue is that the AS/400 doesn't come with a C
compiler. There is a C compiler available, but it's expensive, and
almost no one has it. I've been working on the '400 for over ten years,
on dozens of sites, and I've *never* come across one with the C
compiler installed. The '400 world is dominated by various flavours of
RPG, with a scattering of COBOL. Very exciting.

Now, a Jython port is a bit more likely - the '400 comes with what I'm
told is a very good JVM. I've not had any sucess getting it to work
just yet, but I keep trying. If I ever do get it going, c.l.py will be
the first to know...

--
Simon Brunning
A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man
contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral. - Antoine
de Saint-Exupery


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