What is GLASS?

GLASS – GemStone, Linux, Apache, Seaside, and Smalltalk – provides a powerful new way to rapidly create and deploy desktop-like web applications. GLASS makes GemStone's transparent persistence, enterprise scalability, and legendary reliability available to web application developers. By using GLASS, you can focus on developing your application, and not spend any time on complex Object-Relational mapping or other persistence schemes. For more details, visit Dale's blog.

A public Beta of GLASS is available on our download page.

What is the GLASS Virtual Appliance?

It is pre-built, ready-to-run, 64-bit VMware virtual appliance configured to start GemStone, Seaside, Apache, and Firefox when it is booted.

It includes GemStone/S 2.3 and Seaside 2.8 running on Xubuntu Linux 7.10. It includes a Squeak image and VM you can use to develop Seaside applications. You may use it at no charge to develop, deploy, and distribute GemStone/Seaside applications, as long as you abide by the terms of the License and the restrictions imposed by the included keyfile.

It requires a 64-bit X86-based Macintosh, Windows or Linux computer with VMware installed. It will even work on 32-bit Windows XP, as long as the underlying hardware will run a 64-bit guest OS. See VMware's Hardware and Firmware Requirements for 64-Bit Guest Operating Systems or Intel's list of Core™2 Duo Processors. According to AMD, all 64-Bit AMD processors that use DDR2 memory except Sempron™ should work.

About GemStone/S

GemStone/S combines an enterprise class application server, a robust object database, and a multi-user Smalltalk virtual machine. With the addition of the open source Seaside framework, and other add-ons such as script.aculo.us, and the Pier CMS, GemStone/S provides an excellent platform for deploying dynamic web applications with transparent persistence.

In addition to the GLASS Virtual Appliance, GemStone has other editions of GemStone/S that will run Seaside, but do not include a pre-configured operating system or Apache.