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Java box set

A review of Out-of-the Box 1.0

By Joe "zonker" Brockmeier, JavaWorld.com, 04/04/03

A lot of open source Java software exists, but getting it all installed and seamlessly working together can be a tough chore.

EJB Solutions' Out-of-the-Box is a compilation of open source Java software for developers who want to jump into development mode without wrestling with separately installing several open source projects. Let's face it: it's a major hassle to get half a dozen or more technologies working together, especially if your specialty is programming and not system administration.

Out-of-the-Box includes 50—that's right, 50—packages for Java developers. Naturally that includes goodies like the JDK, JBoss application server, Struts, and the Jakarta Commons components. It also includes non-Java applications and products you might use in conjunction with many Java projects like MySQL, DocBook, and the Apache Web server.

What's in the box?

Out-of-the-Box comes in several versions. A free version for Linux only includes all of the projects and some installation documentation. You will do almost all installation and configuration work yourself, and it doesn't include a user's guide or any advanced configuration. Or, you can dip into your wallet and buy the Developer, Advanced, or Enterprise Editions. The Enterprise Edition includes everything you'd ever want—and then some—when it comes to Java and Java-related open source software.

The Developer, Advanced, and Enterprise versions support Linux or Windows, specifically Red Hat 7.3 or 8.0, and Windows XP or 2000 with Service Pack 2. I tested the Enterprise Edition on Linux. The price of the Enterprise Edition is only 9.95, so if you're a professional Java developer, the Enterprise Edition is probably worth the money. EJB Solutions also charges for a subscription to download updates, which you'll want if you find Out-of-the-Box useful. Otherwise, you will have to perform many manual updates, which might be painful.

Inside the box

I tested the software on a machine running Red Hat Linux 8.0. Unfortunately, the product requires a clean-room Red Hat installation. You can't have Apache installed on your machine, for example, and you must dig out Red Hat Installation Disk One to install a particular necessary package. (I'm not sure why the package isn't simply included with Out-of-the-Box.)

Since the system requirements are so picky, it proves disruptive to install on a machine already in use. Read the instructions carefully and be sure you don't have any software installed on your machine that might conflict with the software installed by Out-of-the-Box. All of its dependencies must be met.

The product definitely needs some improvement in this area. The convenience of a bundled distribution of open source Java projects is somewhat negated by the need to reinstall your distribution if you already have a Linux development box. It's not a big deal if you're setting up Out-of-the-Box on a development machine in an organization with a half-dozen developers (or more)—digging up a spare machine they can log into for Java development makes sense. However, consultants and other developers who already have a workstation and development environment and do not have a spare box cannot accommodate Out-of-the-Box's requirements.

 

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