Now I’m slightly less frustrated….but I’m still in the “I’d pay” camp.

Thanks for commenting. All I can say is that I feel your frustration. :)

BTW: I just got FB for Linux kinda working on 3.5 but there are a number of things that don’t work right. I need to file more bugs.

-James

I actually am fine with the support in the Alpha version. I don’t need the GUI builder, and I don’t ever use it at work where I’m on Windows and have access to it. And, as with most Linux users I suspect, I really don’t need tech support.

But I’m very frustrated with the fact that Adobe has not taken the very simple step to update the current alpha release to work in Eclipse 3.4. The assertion problem is obviously a simple to fix (for those with access to the code). It was fixed in the Windows version in short order. But Linux users have been hung out to dry.

James, you’ve even commented on the 3.4 assertion-error bug report, and been totally ignored, and you are an Adobe employee! Imagine how left-out that makes the rest of us feel when even Adobe employees can’t get a response.

The latest versions of most plugins REQUIRE me to use Eclipse 3.4, because it is over a year old. And 3.5 is out now! But instead, I run 3.3 because I must to use Flex Builder. So, I’m giving up many new features/plugins I should be able to install but can’t.

Further, the Air workspace (specifically the xml app definition) has changed between the latest FB and the Linux latest version, so you can’t work on the same Air app with someone who is in Windows.

What you say about thought leaders is true. A couple years ago, I convinced management at my company to go with Flex over Ajax/DHTML technologies (where they were leaning). Now, my company is heavily entrenched with many Flex developers. This is a previously exclusive Java/HTML shop.

Many thought leaders do use Linux, and my ongoing frustration does not make my recommendation likely. I can assure you, if Flex 4 does not include a Flex Builder for Linux, I will certainly never recommend it again.

My $0.01 on this is that it’s not JUST about pure dollars and cents. For instance many of the thought leaders in the developer audience that Adobe is going after use Linux. And supporting all three major OSs is always a way to firmly say that a development platform is really cross-platform.

-James

Selling a Linux-native development environment capable of producing output for “Joe Regular” on Windows and Mac is a completely different ballgame (and a different market) than selling an IDE for a Linux-only end result.

This is not about Linux on the desktop for users, but for developers.

And much of the initial development cost has already been invested, I mean, the important bits of FB is already running on Linux fairly well in the alpha. Is it really that hard to keep the eclipse plugin cross-platform?

Kylix was incredible. At the time, it was hands down the best IDE on Linux bar none. I figured it would revolutionize the Linux desktop market, because there just wasn’t anything there other than some craptacular text based editors, and the Linux desktop community needed a kickstart. I smelled a goldmine, and I bought up a copy.

Guess what happened? No one bought Kylix (ok, just a few). All the community did was bitch because they had to pay for something that they felt should be free, and if I remember correctly it was all of $399US or something.

Meanwhile, Borland/Inprise missed the .NET boat and had to play catchup, because they spent so much time on Kylix. I had already moved on to .NET via Visual Studio by then.

Now — since FlexBuilder is Java based, it should be MUCH easier to migrate FlexBuilder to Linux — whereas Kylix was written in C/C++ I believe.

So — my moral of the story? I have no idea. I left the Linux community because no one wanted to pay for the hard work I put into my apps. Even when I released free versions people whined because I did not include source code. I love Linux for the desktop and have high hopes for it – but could Adobe be feeling the same pains? Just my OPINION — but I was both disappointed and happy when it was annouced that it was on hold.

The question that I am asking myself is this — would I rather:

a) Have FlexBuilder for Linux or
b) Have Gumbo completed before M$ catches up?

Right now – I’d choose B. Sorry guys and gals – JMHO.

I’m glad to see all the votes though!