Python and Industry, IBM I'm afraid

[Pete]

"Simon B." wrote:
> 
> In article <mailman.979631000.28993.python-list at python.org>,
>   "Tim Peters" <tim.one at home.com> wrote:
> > [Pete]
> > > Has anyone ported Python to IBM iSeries 400?...Or is this
> > > considered too much hassle, because they are big fat trucks
> > > of servers - and come bundled with no GUI support (they have
> > > had posix for many years)?...Or are people waiting for Linux
> > > support in a logical OS partition?...Or does no one care?
> >
> > A Python port to platform X, regardless of X, is almost always done
> by some
> > user of X who wants to run Python on X, and usually working alone.
> That's
> > how things work in any project without revenue to pay for a port
> (don't know
> > whether you've used Python, but if you have and someone charged you
> for it,
> > you were suckered bigtime).
> >
> > I don't know whether there are any Python ports to IBM iSeries 400,
> but, if
> > there aren't, that would be because no IBM iSeries 400 user bothered
> to port
> > it.  In which case, you'll have to ask them what their hangup is --
> or ask
> > IBM why they don't think it's worth their time to make a port
> available.
> > Note that Intel and Microsoft cared enough to pay ActiveState for a
> Win64
> > Python port.  So there's more than one way to get a port done, but
> the only
> > way that's free requires a volunteer.
> 
> The subject of porting Python to the iSeries 400 (better known as the
> AS/400) has come up before - do a deja search on 'AS/400' in c.l.py,
> and you'll find quite a few hits.
> 
> Its not a case of not being bothered - I'd *love* to get Python going
> on the '400. The main issue is that the AS/400 doesn't come with a C
> compiler. There is a C compiler available, but it's expensive, and
> almost no one has it. I've been working on the '400 for over ten years,
> on dozens of sites, and I've *never* come across one with the C
> compiler installed. The '400 world is dominated by various flavours of
> RPG, with a scattering of COBOL. Very exciting.
> 
> Now, a Jython port is a bit more likely - the '400 comes with what I'm
> told is a very good JVM. I've not had any sucess getting it to work
> just yet, but I keep trying. If I ever do get it going, c.l.py will be
> the first to know...
> 
Honestly Simon! I do have an old, working version of JPython on my
account on virtual400.com :) THAT was easy.
More importantly though, if I can put to one side the 11 years spent
coding for Business (the horror...the horror...), and get further into
debt, and stay fatherly, and get hold of a C compiler, perhaps it will
be a good challenge to make the first EBCDICy Python Port, but I think
brighter, fitter, younger guys can do it before the end of the century.

Given Industry/IBM is a fact that hasn't changed, and won't change in a
hurry: what's next?

--Pete