[YeGoblynQueenne]

What exactly would you package manage if you had a package manager for COBOL? You will never get paid to work on any COBOL code that isn't proprietary, and sealed with the blood of innocent victims. You are not going to be installing the latest hot js framework on a mainframe.

[msla]

> You are not going to be installing the latest hot js framework on a mainframe.

I think IBM would disagree with you, given how much they've pushed Linux (and, therefore, Linux web servers running Node and kin) on their mainframes. You won't be installing much of anything like that on a midrange system, but Linux on Z is pretty well established.

[YeGoblynQueenne]

Doesn't that depend on the client company, rather than IBM? I'm going with what I know from the one (big,financial) corp that I worked in with COBOL on mainframes; there, we didn't use linux at all.

Anyway those environments are downright sclerotic (the worst thing about working with COBOL that nobody mentions). They didn't even let me install Firefox on my work laptop. They had people doing web dev, obviously, but the mainframe teams were more, let's say, conservative.

[moomin]

I know you’re attacking my point but I think you’re actually agreeing here. COBOL is tied to proprietary stuff running on big iron, and its claims to modernity are window dressing.

[YeGoblynQueenne]

>> I know you’re attacking my point but I think you’re actually agreeing here.

I am, but I don't think your point is a bad thing- especially if it means less javascript :)