Hi Lukas,
I asked this exact question many months ago. I'm pleased to say now
that I've found both Linux and Java have been quite reliable for my
project.
I've currently got RTLinux and Java running in our company's new
networkable instrument. All the real time stuff is written in C
and runs an I/O card I designed to control the instrument's various
hardware bits. All the Linux software (non-real time) stuff is written
in Java and it performs all the high level management of the instrument
such as networking, LCD panel display, etc.
As in you project, the instrument is 'headless', no keyboard or
monitor. It's currently in the lab being tested, and any problems
we've had so far are related to bugs in my code, not the underlying
OS or JDK. It generally doesn't run for more than a day or so
before someone turns it off. But during that time it's running one
or more network connections, doing real time closed loop temperature
control, real time sampling and integration on 70 channels, LCD display
updates, button scanning, timing, etc. So it's busy!
The schedule was extremely tight for time, and I credit java for allowing
me to meet the deadline. It would definitely be possible in C or C++, but
I firmly believe that it would have taken longer. And not been as robust
given the same amount of time.
In fact, there was even enough time to create some extra's like a
'probe' application that can attach to instrument across the network
and pick up stack traces for any exceptions that get thrown in the
embedded software.
In general I'm quite pleased and impressed with the quality of both Linux
and the Blackdown JDK.
Jim.
At 10:31 AM 9/15/98 -0700, Lukas Hazlehurst wrote:
>hi,
>
>This isn't a technical Java question, so feel free to tell me to go away.
>I'm at the analysis point of developing some server software. The software
>would run on a series of computers distributed around the net. The server
>machines themselves would simply be boxes, no screens or keyboard etc.
>At this point i am trying to select a development language & a target OS.
>My preference is to go with java and linux.
>Is java on linux reliable enough to run on a box by itself for a
>considerable period of time, or would C be more appropriate ?
>
>Lukas.
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
>
