Cross-Platform Development... On the Cheap

The Hardware

Small Form Factor PC
A fairly powerful SFF PC can be purchased for $599 from independent stores and online PC vendors. While any size PC chassis can be used, I prefer the SFF to

keep the box as mobile and unobtrusive as possible. (Shown: The Shuttle SS51G XPC)

Keyboard-Video-Mouse Switch
Most onboard video adapters still include standard VGA connectors, so the two-port KVM should use VGA unless the DVI output is available. However, KVMs with DVI adapters tend to be 20 percent more expensive than their VGA counterparts, so I prefer the DVI to VGA adapter route to keep costs down. Also, most PCs still use PS/2-style adapters for keyboard and mouse input, so most standard KVMs, such as those from Belkin or Linksys, should be adequate for the switch. I recommend a four-port KVM, as it’s not much more expensive than the two-port minimum, and it also has room to grow for another PC or Mac device. I prefer a KVM switch with built-in key pattern to switch between devices so I can keep the switch and the cable

Maxxed-Out Mini
The Mac Mini comes with a number of configurations, but due to the unit’s encapsulated nature, I recommend the fastest processor and most memory your budget can allow. Unlike the SFF PC, the Mac Mini isn’t designed to be opened by anyone except a certified Apple technician, and even then, the cost to change any of the components could likely be more than the initial purchase. With this in mind, go for a 1.4 Ghz G4 processor with 1GB DDR RAM and an 80GB hard drive. Because the Mac Mini doesn’t use PS/2 connectors for its input devices, use a PS/2 to USB converter between the Mac Mini and the KVM cable.

Plug In and Power Up
Once all the cables are plugged into their respective locations, power up the display SFF PC and Mac Mini using the KVM button or keyboard combination to switch between the two boxes.

The Software

Now that the hardware’s in place, software development configuration is easy.

Mac OS X Developer Tool
The Mac Mini doesn’t come with the developer tools preinstalled, though a simple insertion of the developer tools CD-ROM included with OS X will install the latest command-line compilers and Apple’s own Xcode development environment.

Windows XP
Most PCs already have Windows XP preinstalled (XP Professional is my preferred Windows development client).

Linux
Nearly every major Linux distribution supports adding a Linux OS as a dual-boot configuration. I prefer Mandrake due to its robust hardware detection and media support, but any x86 Linux distribution will do.

Virtual Machine
Simultaneous Linux/Windows operation is best achieved via a virtual machine. I prefer VMWare’s Workstation for its stability, market-entrenched longevity, industry recognition and, most importantly, VMs that can run within either a Linux or Windows host, depending on which of these operating systems is the preferred, primary OS.

Web Browser
Installing Mozilla’s Firefox on all three systems keeps the browser views identical among operating systems.

Database
If data stores are required, MySQL is the easiest database to install and work with; it’s also the most popular, though my personal open-source database of choice remains PostgreSQL. Unfortunately, it simply doesn’t have MySQL’s market momentum due to its talented contributors and user community’s disinterest in commercial gain. It also lacks the breadth of GUI tools that are available for MySQL, making it more prone to command-line thinking. And unlike MySQL, PostgreSQL lacks a native installation on the Windows platform, relying instead on the Cygwin DLLs to translate its Unix-based heritage. Regardless, both MySQL and PostgreSQL will serve all three operating systems effectively. For those commercially inclined, Oracle’s 9i and 10g DBMS are also fully supported by the company on these three platforms.

Cross-Platform Languages
The selection of cross-platform development tools aligns primarily toward the open-source software collection by the very nature of open compliance, regardless of target platform. Some of the best development tools for these three platforms include:

• Perl and ActivePerl; install on Windows.
• Python and ActivePython; install on Windows.
• Ruby; PC or Linux installation.
• RubyCocoa; an Objective-C/Ruby bridge framework.
• Python Objective-C/Python bridge.
• Camelbones Objective-C/Perl bridge framework.
• C/C++ using the GCC; install cygwin on Windows.
• Objective-C using GNUstep; based on OpenStep.
• Java; install on Linux and Windows.
• Eclipse IDE: 3.0 or higher; install on all platforms.

Traversing the Trifecta
Switching among the running systems is most comfortably performed via a hot-key sequence, dependent on the type of KVM used. Once the pattern is etched, flipping among machines is lightning fast and intuitive. Furthermore, you know that raw energy’s just waiting to be called upon in each box. I prefer to run Mac OS X server’s preconfigured JBoss and Tomcat application servers, use Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 to code the JSPs, and view the result of the output on the Linux version of Firefox. Configuration success!