First Native OSGi Developers Meeting

On the 22nd of May 2012 the first Native OSGi developers meeting was hosted by Thales (Hengelo, Netherlands). Detailed notes about the meeting can be found here.

After a general introduction round, we discussed the current state of the available open-source frameworks (Celix, SOF, nOSGi, and CTK) and tried to identify common needs and goals. The projects had a lot in common, but also differed in some interesting ways.

Another very important discussion was centered about two questions which pop up frequently.

Why is a native (C or C++) OSGi framework needed?

• C and C++ as programming languages are here to stay (whether you like it or not).
• Traditional application domains (for example in medical imaging, embedded devices, sensor networks, etc.) often use native languages and possibly rely on a large native (legacy) code-base.
• Native developers designing scalable, modular platforms for a dynamically reconfigurable (embedded) environment need a light-weight yet powerful module system (just like Java developers).

What are the benefits of a native (C or C++) OSGi framework?

• Builds upon a mature API design for a dynamic environment, supporting native developers in creating modular platforms.
• Allows the creation of a hybrid Java and C/C++ architecture (via remote services) as an alternative to JNI.
• Maximizes the performance per watt ratio for (embedded) devices.
• Eases future software migrations of native components to a Java OSGi-based system.

We strongly believe that there is a market (community) for Native OSGi and quickly agreed on trying to draft a C and C++ API in the near future and have it reviewed by the community.

Having a common API would allow us to re-use bundles originating from different projects, as it is common in the Java OSGi community. Additionally, it would hopefully help us in growing a community and to foster collaboration between the existing native OSGi framework implementations.

A large part of the afternoon discussions focused on the meaning of a Module Layer in a native setting and about C and C++ interoperability. I think we are heading in the right directions but there are still many details to work out.

You can follow our collaborative efforts on our NativeOSGi GitHub project and on the Celix Mailinglist.