Section 24.1. The Future s So Bright, I Squint and Look Confused

24.1. The Future's So Bright, I Squint and Look Confused

Our crystal ball is a bit foggy, though. Linux is a moving target, and so is Java. In a twist of fate that few could have predicted, the Mono project has a .NET development platform for Linux (and, in fact, for most UNIX-like operating systems). Sun has been talking about open-sourcing Java. ^[1] New languages and tools emerge all the time. Heck, Geronimo popped up during the research and writing of this very book, while JBoss was the first to pass the Compatibility Test Suite for J2EE. Two minor and one major Java release happened during the writing of this book. A major Linux kernel release occurred. Naught endures but mutability. (The only constant is change.)

^[1] And may we drop all pretense of objectivity and say "Go, Sun! Go! Open it up!"

The three things we can say with confidence are that with Java, Linux, and Open Source, the platform and the tools only get better, the price doesn't go up, and everyone has the chance to play on an level field.

We wouldn't dream of predicting the future, but we're sure that both Linux and Java will have a significant place in it.