1 <a href="#basics">Basics</a><br>
2 <a href="#ximian">The Ximian Role in the Mono project</a><br>
3 <a href="#gnome">Mono and GNOME</a><br>
4 <a href="#gui">Building GUI applications with Mono</a><br>
5 <a href="#msft">Mono and Microsoft</a><br>
6 <a href="#pnpproject">Mono and the Portable.NET Project</a><br>
7 <a href="#webservices">Web Services</a><br>
8 <a href="#devel">Development Tools and Issues</a><br>
9 <a href="#java">Mono and Java</a><br>
10 <a href="#extending">Extending Mono</a><br>
11 <a href="#portability">Portability</a><br>
12 <a href="#reuse">Reusing Existing Code</a><br>
13 <a href="#gcc">Mono and GCC</a><br>
14 <a href="#performance">Performance</a><br>
15 <a href="#licensing">Licensing</a><br>
16 <a href="#patents">Patents</a><br>
17 <a href="#etc">Miscellaneous Questions</a><br>
23 Q: What is Mono exactly?
25 A: The Mono Project is an open development initiative sponsored by
26 Ximian that is working to develop an open source, Unix
27 version of the Microsoft .NET development platform. Its objective
28 is to enable Unix developers to build and
29 deploy cross-platform .NET Applications. The project will
30 implement various technologies developed by Microsoft that have now
31 been submitted to the ECMA for standardization.
33 Q: What is the difference between Mono and the .NET Initiative?
35 A: The ".NET Initiative" is a somewhat nebulous company-wide effort by
36 Microsoft, one part of which is a cross-platform development
37 framework. Mono is an implementation of the development framework,
38 but not an implementation of anything else related to the .NET
39 Initiative, such as Passport, software-as-a-service, or
42 Q: What technologies are included in Mono?
44 A: Mono contains a number of components useful for building new
48 * A Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) virtual
49 machine that contains a class loader, Just-in-time
50 compiler, and a garbage collecting runtime.
52 * A class library that can work with any language
53 which works on the CLR.
55 * A compiler for the C# language. In the future we
56 might work on other compilers that target the Common
61 Windows has compilers that target the virtual machine from <a
62 href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/net/thirdparty/default.asp#lang">a
63 number of languages:</a> Managed C++, Java Script, Eiffel,
64 Component Pascal, APL, Cobol, Oberon, Perl, Python, Scheme,
65 Smalltalk, Standard ML, Haskell, Mercury and Oberon.
67 The CLR and the Common Type System (CTS) enables applications and
68 libraries to be written in a collection of different languages that
71 This means for example that if you define a class to do algebraic
72 manipulation in C#, that class can be reused from any other
73 language that supports the CLI. You could create a class in C#,
74 subclass it in C++ and instantiate it in an Eiffel program.
76 A single object system, threading system, class libraries, and
77 garbage collection system can be shared across all these languages.
79 Q: Where can I find the specification for these technologies?
81 A: You can find the work-in-progress documentation from the T3G ECMA
84 <a href="http://www.dotnetexperts.com">http://www.dotnetexperts.com</a>
86 Q: Will you implement the .NET Framework SDK class libraries?
88 A: Yes, we will be implementing the APIs of the .NET Framework SDK
91 Q: Will you offer an ECMA-compliant set of class libraries?
93 A: Eventually we will. Our current focus is on interoperating
94 with the Microsoft SDK, but we will also offer an ECMA compliant
97 Q: What does the name "Mono" mean?
99 A: Mono is the word for `monkey' in Spanish. We like monkeys.
103 A: The JIT engine is usable on Intel x86 machines. An interpreter
104 can be used on other non-Intel x86 machines.
106 The class libraries are mature enough to run some real applications
107 (the compiler for instance, and every day more and more applications
108 are natively developed with Mono).
110 Q: When will you ship it?
112 A: Different parts of Mono will achieve usability at different stages,
113 once we are comfortable with the compiler, we will release "Mono Core",
114 which contains everything needed to develop applications with the base
115 class libraries. This should be available at some point during 2002.
117 Other higher level class libraries (ASP.NET, ADO.NET, Windows.Forms) will
118 be released when they become stable.
120 Q: What major components will you include in Mono?
122 A: Hopefully eveyrthing that Microsoft ships on their Framework
123 (ADO.NET, ASP.NET, Windows.Forms), and
124 we encourage third party developers to create reusable components that
125 work on both Mono and Windows.
127 Q: How can I contribute?
129 A: Check the <a href="contributing.html">contributing</a> section.
131 Q: Aren't you just copying someone else's work?
133 A: We are interested in providing the best tools for programmers to
134 develop applications for Free Operating Systems. We also want to help
135 provide the interoperability that will allow those systems to fit in
136 with other standards.
138 For more background, read the <a href="http://www.go-mono.com/rationale.html">Mono
139 Project white paper</a>.
143 <a name="ximian"></a>
145 ** The Ximian Role in the Mono Project
147 Q: Why is Ximian working on .NET?
149 A: Ximian is interested in providing the best tools for programmers to
150 develop applications for Free Operating Systems.
152 For more information, read the project <a
153 href="rationale.html">rationale</a> page.
155 Q: Will Ximian be able to take on a project of this size?
157 A: Of course not. Ximian a supporter of the Mono project, but the only way
158 to implement something of this size is for the entire free software
159 community to get involved. Visit the <a href="contributing.html">contributing</a>
160 page if you'd like to help out.
162 Q: What pieces will Ximian be working on?
164 A: We will devote most of our resources to work on the pieces which are
165 on the critical path to release a development and execution
166 environment. Once the project is at a stage where it is useful in
167 the real world, it will achieve a critical mass of developers to
170 Q: Will Ximian offer Mono commercially?
172 A: When Mono is ready to be shipped Ximian will offer a commercial
173 support and services for Mono.
175 Q: Does Ximian provide consulting services around Mono?
177 A: Yes, Ximian does provide consulting services around Mono to
178 make it suitable to your needs. Porting the runtime engine,
179 customizing it, working on specific classes or tuning the code
180 for your particular needs.
182 Q: Will you wait until Mono is finished?
184 A: Mono will ship on various stages as they mature. Some people
185 require only a subset of the technologies, those will ship first.
187 More advanced features will take more time to develop. A support
188 timeline will be available in June 2002.
193 Q: How is Mono related to GNOME?
195 A: In a number of ways. This project was born out of the need of
196 providing improved tools for the GNOME community, and will use
197 existing components that have been developed for GNOME when they
198 are available. For example, we plan to use Gtk+ and Libart to
199 implement Winforms and the Drawing2D API and are considering
202 Q: Has the GNOME Foundation or the GNOME team adopted Mono?
204 A: Mono is too new to be adopted by those groups. We hope that the
205 tools that we will provide will be adopted by free software
206 programmers including the GNOME Foundation members and the GNOME
209 Q: Should GNOME programmers switch over to Mono now?
211 A: It is still far to early for discussions of "switching over." No
212 pieces of Mono will be ready within the next six months, and a
213 complete implementation is roughly one year away.
215 We encourage GNOME developers to continue using the existing tools,
216 libraries and components. Improvements made to GNOME will have an
217 impact on Mono, as they would be the "backend" for various classes.
219 Q: Will Mono include compatibility with Bonobo components? What is the
220 relationship between Mono and Bonobo?
222 A: Yes, we will provide a set of classes for implementing and using
223 Bonobo components from within Mono. Mono should allow you to write
224 Bonobo components more easily, just like .NET on Windows allows you
225 to export .NET components to COM.
227 Q: Does Mono depend on GNOME?
229 A: No, Mono does not depend on GNOME. We use a few packages produced by
230 the GNOME team like the `glib' library.
232 Q: But will I be able to build GNOME applications?
234 A: Yes, we will enable people to write GNOME applications using Mono.
239 Q: Will Mono enable GUI applications to be authored?
241 A: Yes, you will be able to build GUI applications. Indeed, that is our
242 main focus. We will provide both the Windows.Forms API and the Gtk# API.
244 Q: What is the difference between Gtk# and System.Windows.Forms?
246 A: Gtk# is a set of bindings for the Gtk+ toolkit for C# (and other
247 CIL-enabled languages). System.Windows.Forms is an API defined
248 by Microsoft to build GUI applications.
250 Q: Will I be able to run my smart clients on systems powered by Mono?
252 A: As long as your applications are 100% .NET and do not make use
253 of P/Invoke to call Win32 functions, your smart client applications
254 will run on Mono platforms.
257 ** Mono and Microsoft
259 Q: Is Microsoft helping Ximian with this project?
261 A: No. Ximian CTO Miguel de Icaza had a friendly conversation with
262 Microsoft software architect David Stutz, but that's about the
263 extent of the contact. Microsoft is interested in other
264 implementations of .NET and are willing to help make the ECMA spec
265 more accurate for this purpose.
267 Ximian representatives have also spoken with Sam Ruby at the ECMA
268 TG3 committee to discuss the same issues.
270 Q: Is Microsoft or Corel paying Ximian to do this?
274 Q: Do you fear that Microsoft will change the spec and render Mono
277 A: No. Microsoft proved with the CLI and the C# language that it was
278 possible to create a powerful foundation for many languages to
279 interoperate. We will always have that.
281 Even if changes happened in the platform which were undocumented,
282 the existing platform would a value on its own.
284 Q: Are you writing Mono from the ECMA specs?
286 A: Yes, we are writing them from the ECMA specs and the published
287 materials in print about .NET.
289 Q: If my applications use Mono, will I have to pay a service fee?
291 A: No. Mono is not related to Microsoft's initiative of
292 software-as-a-service.
294 Q: Is the Mono Project is related to the Microsoft Hailstorm effort? Is
295 Ximian endorsing Hailstorm?
297 A: No. The Mono Project is focused on providing a compatible set of
298 tools for the Microsoft .NET development platform. It does not
299 address, require, or otherwise endorse the MS Passport-based
300 Hailstorm single sign-on system that is part of Windows XP and
303 Q: Will Mono or .NET applications depend on Microsoft Passport?
305 A: No. MS Passport is unrelated to running .NET compatible applications
306 produced with the Mono tools. The only thing you will need is a
307 just-in-time compiler (JIT).
309 Q: What is a 100% .NET application?
311 A: A `100% .NET application' is one that only uses the APIs defined
312 under the System namespace and does not use PInvoke. These
313 applications would in theory run unmodified on Windows, Linux,
314 HP-UX, Solaris, MacOS X and others.
316 Q: If Microsoft will release a port of their .NET platform under the
317 `Shared Source' license, why should I bother with anything else?
319 A: The Shared Source implementation will be expensive and its uses
320 will be tightly restricted, especially for commercial use. We are
321 working towards an implementation that will grant a number of
322 important rights to recipients: use for any purpose,
323 redistribution, modification, and redistribution of modifications.
325 This is what we call <a
326 href="http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html">Free Software</a>
328 Q: Is Mono a free implementation of Passport?
330 A: No. Mono is just a runtime, a compiler and a set of class
333 Q: Will the System.Web.Security.PassportIdentity class mean
334 that my software will depend on Passport?
336 A: No. Applications may use that API to contact a Passport site, but
337 are not required to do so.
339 As long as your application does not use Passport, you will not
342 Q: Will Mono running on Linux make Passport available for Linux?
344 A: No. However, the Passport toolkit for Linux-based web servers is
345 available from Microsoft.
347 Q: Will Mono allow me to run Microsoft Office on Linux?
349 A: No, it will not. Microsoft Office is a Windows application. To
350 learn more about running Windows applications on Intel Unix systems
351 refer to <a href="http://www.winehq.com">the Wine Project</a>.
353 <a name="pnpproject"></a>
354 ** Mono and Portable.NET
356 Q: What are the differences between Mono and Portable.NET?
358 A: Most of Mono is being written using C#, with only
359 a few parts written in C (The JIT engine, the runtime, the
360 interfaces to the garbage collection system).
362 It is easier to describe what is unique about Mono:
364 <li> A self-hosting C# compiler written in C#, which is clean, easy
367 <li> A multi-platform runtime engine: both a JIT engine and an
368 interpreter exist. The JIT engine runs currently on x86
369 systems, while the interpreter works on Sparc, StrongARM and
372 <li> Supports Linux, Windows and Solaris at this point.
374 <li> The JIT engine is written using a portable instruction
375 selector which not only generates good code (we are told
376 that we are faster than Rotor, but it is hard to tell) but
377 is also the foundation to retarget the JIT engine to other
380 The system employed is described in various compiler
381 books and it is very similar to what is described in the
382 book that covers LCC, the Ansi C retargetable C compiler.
384 <li> The JIT engine supports inlining, constant folding and propagation,
386 <li> Full support for remoting in the runtime, but the class
387 libraries are still behind.
389 <li> The C# compiler, the JIT engine and the class libraries are
390 mature enough that the whole system is self-hosting, ie, that
391 it can be fully developed with itself at this point.
393 <li> We are not yet done, and there is a lot of work left to be
396 <li> We have a great community of developers, without which Mono
397 would not be possible.
399 <li> We will provide an ahead of time compilation mode in the
403 <a name="webservices"></a>
406 Q: How is Mono related to Web Services?
408 A: Mono is only related to Web Services in that it will implement the
409 same set of classes that have been authored in the .NET Framework
410 to simplify and streamline the process of building Web Services.
412 But most importantly, Mono is an Open Source implementation of the
415 Q: Can I author Web Services with Mono?
417 A: You will be able to write Web Services on .NET that run on Mono and
420 Q: If Mono implements the SDK classes, will I be able to write and
421 execute .NET Web Services with it?
423 A: Yes. When the project is finished, you will be able to use the
424 same technologies that are available through the .NET Framework SDK
425 on Windows to write Web Services.
427 Q: What about Soup? Can I use Soup without Mono?
429 A: Soup is a library for GNOME applications to create SOAP servers and
430 SOAP clients, and can be used without Mono. You can browse the
431 source code for soup using <a
432 href="http://cvs.gnome.org/bonsai">GNOME's Bonsai</a>.
436 A: Yes. The CLI contains enough information about a class that
437 exposing it to other RPC systems (like CORBA) is really simple, and
438 does not even require support from an object.
440 We will be implementing CORBA interoperation as an extension to the
441 Mono classes so that we can integrate with Bonobo, just like
442 Microsoft provides COM interoperation classes and support
445 Q: Can I serialize my objects to other things other than XML?
447 A: Yes, although the serializing tools have not yet been planned, and
448 you would probably have to implement them yourself.
450 Q: Will Mono use ORBit?
452 A: No. Mono will be using a new implementation of CORBA that isn't still started.
455 ** Development Tools and Issues
457 Q: Will it be possible to use the CLI features without using bytecodes
460 A: Yes. The CLI engine will be made available as a shared library.
461 The garbage collection engine, the threading abstraction, the
462 object system, the dynamic type code system and the JIT will be
463 available for C developers to integreate with their applications if
466 Q: Will you have new development tools?
468 A: With any luck, Free Software enthusiasts will contribute tools to
469 improve the developer environment. These tools could be developed
470 initially using the Microsoft implementation of the CLI and then
471 executed later with Mono.
473 Q: What kind of rules make the Common Intermediate Language useful for
476 A: The main rule is that the stack in the CLI is not a general purpose
477 stack. You are not allowed to use it for other purposes than
478 computing values and passing arguments to functions or return
481 At any given call or return instruction, the types on the stack
482 have to be the same independently of the flow of execution of your
485 Q: Is it true that the CIL is ideal for JITing and not efficient for
488 A: The CIL is better suited to be JITed than JVM byte codes, but you
489 can interpret them as trivially as you can interpret JVM byte
492 Q: Isn't it a little bit confusing to have the name of "XSP" (the same
493 as in the Apache Project) for the ASP.NET support in Mono?.
495 A: In Mono, xsp is just the name of the C# code generator for ASP.NET
496 pages. In the Apache Project, it is a term for the "eXtensible Server
497 Pages" technology so as they are very different things, they don't
500 Q: What about using something like Jabber instead of the System.Messaging
503 A: In short, MSMQ is not something like Jabber, but asynchronous messaging
504 through queues. Usefull queues do more than serialize messages, they are
505 also platform bridges.
507 Q: Are you supporting XMLDocument and relatives?.
509 A: Currently, we aren't implementing them yet. It would require updates to
510 most of the XmlNode derivatives so it's not a trivial task. We are
511 currently focusing on getting XPath support working.
513 Q: Is there any plan to develop an aspx server for Mono?.
515 A: The webserver turned out to be very simple compared to the rest of the
516 work. Gonzalo has got the page generator mostly done (a module called
517 xsp, who has nothing to do with the XSP term used in the Apache Project).
518 Patrik has done a lot of the work to get the ProcessRequest to work.
519 You can try to help in the final touches to the System.Web classes and
520 writing regression tests for the widgets we have.
525 Q: Why don't you use Java? After all, there are many languages that
528 A: You can get very good tools for doing Java development on free
529 systems right now. <a href="http://www.redhat.com">Red Hat</a> has
530 contributed a <a href="http://gcc.gnu.org">GCC</a> <a
531 href="http://gcc.gnu.org/java">frontend for Java</a> that can take
532 Java sources or Java byte codes and generate native executables; <a
533 href="http://www.transvirtual.com">Transvirtual</a> has implemented
534 <a href="http://www.kaffe.org">Kaffe</a> a JIT engine for Java;
535 Intel also has a Java VM called <a
536 href="http://www.intel.com/research/mrl/orp">ORP</a>.
538 The JVM is not designed to be a general purpose virtual machine.
539 The Common Intermediate Language (CIL), on the other hand, is
540 designed to be a target for a
541 wide variety of programming languages, and has a set of rules
542 designed to be optimal for JITers.
544 Q: Could Java target the CLI?
546 A: Yes, Java could target the CLI. We have details on a <a
547 href="ideas.html#guavac">project</a> that someone could take on to
550 Microsoft has an implemenation of the Java language called J# that
551 can target the CIL execution engine.
553 Q: Is it possible to write a JVM byte code to CIL convertor?
555 A: Yes, it is possible. Here are a few starting point:
558 * A byte code representation is really a flattened forest of
559 trees. Look at the Mono JIT engine to see how we compute
560 the basic blocks (this is used to figure out the "trees").
562 The forest is just an array of trees.
564 Indeed, run the JIT engine with -d (mono -d prog.exe) and
565 you will see how these trees look like.
567 You will have to do something similar for Java.
569 * Each "forest of trees" has a meaning. This meaning can now
570 be translated into the equivalent "meaning" in CLR-land.
573 Q: Could mono become a hybrid cil/java platform?
575 A: No. It is quite far from the philosophy of the project. The idea of Mono
576 is, to have only _one_ VM, on which all can run. And if there existing a
577 binary-converter from Java-.class to IL and if there existing something
578 like J-Sharp on Mono, you can write programs in Java, which than can run
579 on Mono. You do not need two bindings (like your example: GTK-Sharp _and_
580 Java-Gnome). You need only _one_ of it (GTK-Sharp). Thats the idea of Mono.
581 An other point is, that there are no people, who use OpenSource-JVMs. They
582 all prefer Suns original. But for Unix there don't exist a .NET-Framework.
583 So it is possible, that in the future Mono is the standard .NET for unixes.
585 <a name="extending"></a>
588 Q: Would you allow other classes other than those in the
591 A: Yes. The Microsoft class collection is very big, but it is by no
592 means complete. It would be nice to have a port of `Camel' (the
593 Mail API used by Evolution inspired by Java Mail) for Mono
596 You might also want to look into implementing CORBA for Mono. Not
597 only because it would be useful, but because it sounds like a fun
598 thing to do, given the fact that the CLI is such a type rich
601 For more information on extending Mono, see our <a
602 href="ideas.html">ideas</a> page.
604 Q: Do you plan to Embrace and Extend .NET?
606 A: Embracing a good technology is good. Extending technologies in
607 incompatible ways is bad for the users, so we do not plan on
608 extending the technologies.
610 If you have innovative ideas, and want to create new classes, we
611 encourage you to make those classes operate correctly well in both
614 <a name="portability"></a>
617 Q: Will Mono only work on Linux?
619 A: Currently, we are doing our work on Linux-based systems and
620 Windows. We do not expect many Linux-isms in the code, so it
621 should be easy to port Mono to other UNIX variants.
623 Q: What about Mono on non Linux-based systems?
625 A: Our main intention at Ximian is to be able to develop GNOME
626 applications with Mono, but if you are interested in providing a
627 port of the Winform classes to other platforms (frame buffer or
628 MacOS X for example), we would gladly integrate them, as long
629 they are under an open source license.
631 Q: What operating systems/CPUs do you support
633 A: Mono currently runs on Linux, Windows, Solaris and FreeBSD.
634 There is a JIT engine available for x86 processors that can
635 generate code and optimizations tailored for a particular CPU.
637 Interpreters exist for the SPARC, PowerPC and StrongARM cpus.
639 Q: Does Mono run on Windows?
641 A: Yes. The Compiler and the runtime both run on Windows.
643 Q: When will mono and mcs compile on Linux?.
645 A: That happend a long time ago. Know you can download and compile
646 them or even install them from already made binary packages for
647 Windows and for Linux (RPM/DEB).
649 Q: Will I require Cygwin to run mono?
651 A: No. While you'll need it to compile it, it runs without cygwin and does not even require cygwin1.dll
653 Q: Will Mono depend on GNOME?
655 A: It will depend only if you are using a particular assembly (for
656 example, for doing GUI applications). If you are just interested
657 in Mono for implementing a `Hello World Enterprise P2P Web
658 Service', you will not need any GNOME components.
661 ** Reusing Existing Code
663 Q: What projects will you reuse or build upon?
665 A: We want to get Mono in the hands of programmers soon. We are
666 interested in reusing existing open source software.
668 Q: What about Intel's research JIT framework, ORP?
670 A: At this time, we are investigating whether we can use elements of
671 ORP for Mono. ORP is a research JIT engine that has a clearly
672 defined API that splits the JIT from the GC system and the actual
673 byte code implementation.
675 We are using some pieces of ORP (Their code generation interface)
676 and we use it as a source of inspiration for optimizations. Paolo
677 and Dietmar consider ORP as being one of the best JIT engines out
678 there (and their research work and papers are very useful if you are
679 interested in JIT technology).
681 Q: What about using GNU Lightning?
683 A: We are not using GNU Lightning. Our JIT is using an instruction
684 selector based on tree-pattern matching, and a code generation
685 interface that is very tied to the current architecture.
690 Q: Are you working on a GCC front-end to C#? A GCC backend that will
691 generate CIL images? What about making a front-end to GCC that
692 takes CIL images and generates native code?
694 A: We are currently seeking volunteers for those projects.
695 Visit the <a href="contributing.html">contributing</a> section if
698 Q: But would this work around the GPL in the GCC compiler and allow
699 people to work on non-free front-ends?
701 A: People can already do this by targeting the JVM byte codes (there
702 are about 130 compilers for various languages that target the JVM).
704 Q: Why are you writing a JIT engine instead of a front-end to GCC?
706 A: We want the JIT engine and runtime engine because they will be able
707 to execute CIL executables generated on Windows, and so no recompilation
710 <a name="performance"></a>
713 Q: How fast will Mono be?
715 A: We can not predict the future, but a conservative estimate is that
716 it would be at least `as fast as other JIT engines'.
718 We would like to ship various JIT engines with Mono, just like
719 Microsoft has done with their .NET development platform. We could
720 provide a faster, JIT for fast load times but lower performance,
721 and an and an optimizing JIT that would be slower at generating
722 code but produce more optimal output.
724 The CIL has some advantages over the Java byte code: it is really
725 an intermediate representation and there are a number of
726 restrictions on how you can emit CIL code that simplify creating
729 For example, on the CIL, the stack is not really an abstraction
730 available for the code generator to use at will. Rather, it is a
731 way of creating a postfix representation of the parsed tree. At
732 any given call point or return point, the contents of the stack are
733 expected to contain the same object types independently of how the
734 instruction was reached.
736 <a name="licensing"></a>
739 Q: Will I be able to write proprietary applications that run with
742 A: Yes. The licensing scheme is planned to allow proprietary
743 developers to write applications with Mono.
745 Q: What license or licenses are you using for the Mono Project?
747 A: The C# Compiler is released under the terms of the <a
748 href="http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.html">GNU GPL</a>. The runtime
749 libraries are under the <a
750 href="http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-license.html">GNU
751 Library GPL</a>. And the class libraries are released
752 under the terms of the <a
753 href="http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.html">MIT X11</a>
756 Q: I would like to contribute code to Mono under a particular
757 license. What licenses will you accept?
759 A: We will have to evaluate the licenses for compatibility first,
760 but as a general rule, we will accept the code under the same
761 terms of the "container" module.
763 <a name="patents></a>
766 Q: Could patents be used to completely disable Mono (either submarine
767 patents filed now, or changes made by Microsoft specifically to
768 create patent problems)?
770 A: No. First, its basic functional capabilities have pre-existed too
771 long to be held up by patents. The basic components of Mono are
772 technologically equivalent to Sun's Java technology, which has been
773 around for years. Mono will also implement multi-language and
774 multi-architecture support, but there are previous technologies
775 such as UCSD p-code and ANDF that also support multiple languages
776 using a common intermediate language. The libraries are similar
777 to other language's libraries, so again, they're too similar to
778 be patentable in large measure.
780 However, if Microsoft does patent some technology, then our plan is
781 to either (1) work around it, (2) chop out patented pieces, (3)
782 find prior art that would render the patent useless.
784 Not providing a patented capability would weaken the
785 interoperability, but it would still provide the free software /
786 open source software community with good development tools, which
787 is the primary reason for developing Mono.
790 ** Miscellaneous Questions
792 Q: You say that the CLI allows multiple languages to execute on the
793 same environment. Isn't this the purpose of CORBA?
795 A: The key difference between CORBA (and COM) and the CLI is that the
796 CLI allows "data-level interoperability" because every
797 language/component uses the same data layout and memory management.
799 This means you can operate directly upon the datatypes that someone
800 else provides, without having to go via their interfaces. It also
801 means you don't have to "marshall" (convert) parameters (data
802 layouts are the same, so you can just pass components directly) and
803 you don't have to worry about memory managment, because all
804 languages/components share the same garbage collector and address
805 space. This means much less copying and no need for reference
808 Q: Will you support COM?
810 A: The runtime will support XPCOM on Unix systems and COM on Windows.
811 Most of the code for dynamic trampolines exists already.
813 Q: Will Ximian offer certifications on Mono or related technologies?.
815 A: It's possible. But there is no plan about this. So the short answer is no.