If I might interject - code signing and the lot should be viewed as a short
term (and poor) solution to this problem.
First, I'd like to thank Bob and all of you for moving in the javascript
direction, away from Java. Absent in this discussion is a thread ongoing about
the security threats posed by signed applets (one the institutional IT lawyers
will likely not ignore). See for example
<http://threatpost.com/javas-losing-security-legacy>
I see the Java problem only getting worse, not better, with time.
Admitting that I have not contributed directly to Jmol development (but
recognizing that I am a huge beneficiary), may I throw out a challenge for all
of you very creative folk? The challenge is to fully harness GPUs in the JS
version of Jmol - WebGL, or something of the sort. Beyond solving short term
problems, I'm guessing it would allow us to leap frog over where we are now and
start to do even more wondrous things with Jmol
I think I understand that maintaining cross-platform compatibility might be a
challenge, but surely no more than the challenge that you all overcame in
moving to JS in the first place (not that long ago, I was told it would/could
not be done). Perhaps code could detect incompatible systems and revert to the
current JS-only code. But if Jmol exploited the GPU on most major platforms,
think of the opportunities!
Java is history. We need to run away fast. GPU's are where computer makers are
focusing their efforts. Might I prompt a discussion of a solid GPU-embraced
future for Jmol?
My deepest appreciation to all of you who have contributed so much for the rest
of us,
Craig
Craig Martin
cmar...@chem.umass.edu
Begin forwarded message:
> Message: 4
> Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 10:50:19 +0000
> From: Dave Howorth <dhowo...@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk>
> Subject: Re: [Jmol-users] Important Java changes - January 2014
> To: jmol-users@lists.sourceforge.net
> Message-ID: <527a1eeb.6050...@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> Nicolas Vervelle wrote:
>> On Wed, Nov 6, 2013 at 8:11 AM, Rzepa, Henry S <h.rz...@imperial.ac.uk>wrote:
>>> I think this is great for testing, but what will happen in ?production
>>> mode? Inevitably when one talks to large organisations (as I did with the
>>> ACS and RSC), they ask ?what will our lawyers make of it?? So could we
>>> issue Jmol in the name of one individual, and would that individual be
>>> happy potentially dealing with eg ACS and RSC lawyers?
>>>
>>> Or, how could we set up Jmol as an ?organisation? so that the
>>> certificate goes out in its name?
>>
>> Maybe, but I don't know how to get a free or cheap code-signing certificate
>> for an organisation, even a non-profit one.
>> But, sure, that would be a better option.
>
> ...
>
>> I really don't know what are the legal implications of code signing, if
>> there are...
>
> It seems to me that this is the crux of the problem. To solve the
> problem, I think it will be necessary to speak to lawyer(s) who
> specialize in the area. Presumably Oracle, and perhaps the Java
> community, have access to lawyers who understand the implications of the
> plan, so it might be worth asking them. Alternatively, I think it would
> be worthwhile sending an enquiry to i...@eff.org to see whether they
> could help or suggest some other contacts. That is, unless anybody
> already has access to a suitable lawyer.
>
> BTW,
>
>>> So perhaps JSmol could be tuned (along with the JavaScript engine)
>>> to do the same. But not I fancy for a year or two?
>
> Even when/if Javascript has been tuned, not everybody will be using the
> latest version. So it will be necessary to continue support for some
> time unless it's acceptable to break those users' experience. Certainly
> it's extremely unlikely there will be a 100% upgrade to a JS-only
> solution by next January IMHO.
>
> Cheers, Dave
>
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