If you've seen the roadmap or the product address then you know Delphi for Linux is coming. Delphi's come a long way in recent years, reaching all the platforms that matter . . .

Windows 32-bit

Windows 64-bit

macOS

iOS

Android

Windows 10 Store

And now Linux Server is coming. Are you ready? Here is my list of recommended steps to get ready . . . .

#1 Upgrade to Berlin 10.1.2 Today - Berlin does not include Linux, but it does include Update Subscription, which gets you an invite to betas. And now is the best time to upgrade with all the special offers going on, you can upgrade from any previous version of Delphi with extra savings and the bonus pack.

#2 Install Linux Server - Is your Linux getting a little rusty? Setup a Linux Server install in your favorite virtual machine software. The most popular server distributions are the Red Hat / Fedora family and Ubuntu (based on Debian). We won't be sure what flavors of Linux are supported, but those two probably have good odds.

#3 Brush-Up on your Linux Terminal Commands - Windows is great, but do you remember how to configure Apache in a Linux Terminal? There are a lot of resources out there for brushing up on Linux commands, or you can always consult the man pages.

#4 Test, Refactor and Migrate Your Code whenever you are going to be working on your code you want to make sure it has good test coverage. Use DUnit, DUnitX or your favorite unit testing framework, create plenty of tests. Once you've done that start refactoring your code. Make sure you isolate any code that depends on Windows. Make sure you are using code that doesn't assume which direction the slash goes in directory names. You can spot a lot of that problem code today. Once you have those tests in place, use the resources is the Migration center to make sure you are migrated to the latest version.

#5 Get on Enterprise where all the server side technology is included. Since Linux is focused on Server, the Enterprise (or Architect) edition is where all the action is going on. If you aren't already on Enterprise, now is a great time to upgrade. Start writing your server technology today, so it is ready to move to Linux.

This is the first in a series of blog posts that will be covering getting ready for Linux. Delphi for Linux isn't here yet, but we can start getting ready today. So contact sales or a reseller and get ready today!

[Part 2: Installing Ubuntu Server]