Will Mono Become the Preferred Platform for Linux Development?

A very interesting report from a Mono developer's pow-wow. It raises some interesting points about patents, licenses and the future of software development as we know it. Here are a few excerpts from the report:

"The Mono project has a clear goal: to become the first-choice platform for Linux software development. Considering that Mono is an implementation of Microsoft's .NET framework, that goal might sound particularly audacious to many Linux fans.

"From conversations with some of the early adopters at the meeting, it's plain that the Windows migration strategy is working. Developers were able to take their ASP.NET web applications and run them under Mono, after a little accounting for a few pieces of non-portable code.

"For Microsoft's part, they're nervous onlookers. There's benefit to them in more implementations of the common runtime, but the wholesale duplication of Windows APIs is causing them some concern."

And a nice quote from Miguel de Icaza "To me C is dead. Except for the JIT!".

If Mono is not significantly hindered by Microsoft, and they are successful in their implementation (which it appears they might) then that will be a very compelling argument to use the .NET framework over any other development solution. One code base would be able to run on Windows, Linux and Pocket PC, with eventual support for Apple (have not been following this).

I know that Java is already on all these places, and then some, but in the past Java has developed a reputation as not being fit for user interface applications. Granted Java has made some great advances as of late, but I expect that only Sun's releasing Java as open source will help it to keep its head above the .NET tidal wave.

It is unfortunate about Java. This is the classic Microsoft strategy. They downplay a technology, then embrace it and license it, eventually try to break it, finally to say it is inferior to their new technology. Microsoft has been running this game plan with Java for a while now. ActiveX was their first significant volley against it.

Times certainly are getting interesting.