Newsgroups: comp.os.linux Path: sparky!uunet!wupost!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu! convex!egsner!wf-rch!minyard From: miny...@wf-rch.cirr.com (Corey Minyard) Subject: Binary compatibility with other *nix Organization: Corey's PC Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1993 14:26:31 GMT X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4 Message-ID: <1993Mar7.142631.6838@wf-rch.cirr.com> Lines: 8 It should be theoretically possible for Linux to emulate the binary interface of something like SVR4, etc. Has anyone considered doing this? I think xenix is already available. This would give us the "shrink wrapped" applications that some what while still preserving the "free spirit" of Linux. Any thoughts? Corey
Path: sparky!uunet!noc.near.net!hri.com!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net! usc!sdd.hp.com!sgiblab!munnari.oz.au!metro!extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU!philipr From: phil...@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (Philip Rhoades) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux Subject: Re: Binary compatibility with other *nix Message-ID: <philipr.731635375@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU> Date: 9 Mar 93 00:02:55 GMT References: <1993Mar7.142631.6838@wf-rch.cirr.com> Sender: n...@ucc.su.OZ.AU Organization: Sydney University Computing Service, Sydney, NSW, Australia Lines: 21 Nntp-Posting-Host: extro.ucc.su.oz.au miny...@wf-rch.cirr.com (Corey Minyard) writes: >It should be theoretically possible for Linux to emulate the binary >interface of something like SVR4, etc. Has anyone considered doing >this? I think xenix is already available. This would give us the >"shrink wrapped" applications that some what while still preserving >the "free spirit" of Linux. Any thoughts? >Corey I think it would be great if it is possible! I have asked a similiar question in the past and the (small) response was that Linux in not likely to ever be binary compatible with the commercial stuff. Phil. -- Philip Rhoades First Year Biology University of Sydney p...@biox.bio.su.OZ.AU or phil...@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU
Path: sparky!uunet!noc.near.net!hri.com!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net! zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!darwin.sura.net!ra!tantalus.nrl.navy.mil!eric From: e...@tantalus.nrl.navy.mil (Eric Youngdale) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux Subject: Re: Binary compatibility with other *nix Message-ID: <C3LLJ2.nB@ra.nrl.navy.mil> Date: 9 Mar 93 01:30:38 GMT References: <1993Mar7.142631.6838@wf-rch.cirr.com> <philipr.731635375@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU> Sender: use...@ra.nrl.navy.mil Organization: Naval Research Laboratory Lines: 27 In article <philipr.731635...@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU> phil...@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (Philip Rhoades) writes: >miny...@wf-rch.cirr.com (Corey Minyard) writes: >>It should be theoretically possible for Linux to emulate the binary >>interface of something like SVR4, etc. Has anyone considered doing >>this? I think xenix is already available. This would give us the >>"shrink wrapped" applications that some what while still preserving >>the "free spirit" of Linux. Any thoughts? > >I think it would be great if it is possible! I have asked a similiar >question in the past and the (small) response was that Linux in not likely >to ever be binary compatible with the commercial stuff. That's not what I have heard :-). I not only think that it is possible, but quite probable that linux will eventually support ELF binaries. When I get back from my ski trip I will start looking into the kernel support required. Note that a lot more is needed than just the kernel support - the GNU binutils need to be able to generate ELF .o files, and ELF executables which they cannot really do yet. As I understand it, this is a fairly high priority with the people working on binutils so it is just a matter of time. -Eric -- "When Grigor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin." -F. Kafka