The question then is how successful the JVM is. I think you're underestimating it. Torvalds' attitude is certainly justified regarding plenty of other types of software though -- just building a C++ project on a different distro can be a pain.
Someone else [0] points out that Java (in the right context at least) is so successful in isolating the developer from the underlying platform, that it isn't a problem if the developer isn't even permitted to know what OS/hardware their code will run on.
Could they accidentally write code that depends on some quirk of the underlying platform? I think it's not that likely. Nowhere near as likely as in C/C++, where portability is a considerable uphill battle that takes skill and attention on the part of the developer.
> They might be rare, but they'll be surprising and costly when they happen exactly because of that.
Ok, but you can say the same for routine software updates. It's a question of degree.
Someone else [0] points out that Java (in the right context at least) is so successful in isolating the developer from the underlying platform, that it isn't a problem if the developer isn't even permitted to know what OS/hardware their code will run on.
Could they accidentally write code that depends on some quirk of the underlying platform? I think it's not that likely. Nowhere near as likely as in C/C++, where portability is a considerable uphill battle that takes skill and attention on the part of the developer.
> They might be rare, but they'll be surprising and costly when they happen exactly because of that.
Ok, but you can say the same for routine software updates. It's a question of degree.
[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19229224