Sorry to respond so late, I'm not getting messages through email for some reason, and I'm using the 
web archives.

If I had seen this earlier would of showed you more of Kylix and Delphi at the  meeting.  Had Kylix 
Desktop and Delphi Professional on my notebook.

If you use the default components in Kylix for Delphi 6, for the most part your code will just work 
in windows or Linux.  The differences will be in paths and file handling, which can either be 
wrapped with compiler conditionals, or maintained with separate code.

When using 3rd party components, you either buy ones that are cross library or that have syntax 
exact separate components.  Most that say they are for Linux and windwos will be cross library so 
you don't have to worry about it.

Any rate, Delphi and Kylix are incredible programs, object pascal has the power and speed of c++, 
but the ease of use of a vb like language.  You also have access to the system and memory (if you 
choose) unlike vb. I'm a prior vb programmer, so I don't care too access that, I just let Delphi or 
Kylix handle that for me.  Your call

Delphi/Kylix are huge in Europe and Asia, its often called America's best kept secrete.  And I 
agree, I would not be developing any software for Linux if it was not for Kylix.  I actually 
switched from writing windows software in vb to using Delphi for windows and most of my code would 
just compile over to Linux.

I'm currently developing an IM client for windows and Linux, with the server only being an nt 
service for now,  I will rewrite the im server piece for Linux once I get the appropriate ms sql 
server odbc driver purchased for Linux.  I have to use ms sql server unfortunately as we have 3 
years of work in it and no time to switch yet.

If  I can answer any questions let me know

-Bill