Announcing: PPC Linux Version of OpenOffice.org 1.1.1

[Kevin B.Hendricks]

Hi Ben,

> Is this needed for the build or can it be built and JDK added later ?

The JDK is needed for a full normal build of OOo but Debian and others 
use patches to disable Java since Java itself is not free.  Much of the 
functionality is present without the need for Java.
>
> Actually, my question is simpler: I use debian, I have debian sid 
> version
> of OpenOffice. I have the IBM JDK in /usr/local, can I setup that OOo 
> to
> use that JDK or was it built in such a way that no JDK can be used ?
>

No, I don't think so.  Debian builds disable java completely since it 
is Not Free.
There is work going on to build OOo with gcj/kaffe but this is just 
beginning.
Nut I am sure the Debian-openoffice guys can be much more specific than 
I can.

> (BTW. What kind of functionality Java brings to OOo that you don't have
> in the first place ?)
>

Java is currently used both in the build itself and for
- All accessibility features for handicapped and disabled (requires JDK 
1.4.1)
- Flat XML file filter
- All jdbc database connectivity
- Report Wizard features
- Applets and java as used in Html web page editing
- pocket excel and pocket word import features
- XSLTFilter and Validation
- docbook format filter
- the java-uno bridge which allows Java components to talk to
	Basic and C++ components via the uno bridge
- Used in the SDK to control and automate OOo
- It is used along with rhino and js to provide scripting for OOo 2.0

There might be a few other things but these are the ones I can think of 
now.
I do think there will be more major java components coming down the 
road in the future.

Kevin