From owner-freebsd-hackers  Mon Jan 11 13:24:37 1999
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Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 13:24:01 -0800 (PST)
From: Matthew Dillon <dillon@apollo.backplane.com>
Message-Id: <199901112124.NAA97427@apollo.backplane.com>
To: bush doctor <dervish@bantu.cl.msu.edu>
Cc: hackers@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject: Re: What are the advantages of ELF kernels?
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:>     Better compatibility with and portability to/from linux.
:> 
:>     Of course, there are lots of reasons for going with ELF - ELF has a much
:>     more consistent shared library scheme, for one.  But describing them in
:>     terms that a non-computer-geek would understand is like walkinging off a
:>     cliff blindfolded.
:That's ok, My boss, my coworker and myself make up the systems programming staff,
:so we're not afraid of tech talk.  So does having an ELF kernel provide better
:support for elf shared libraries and elf binaries because it's elf also?

    Not really.  An ELF kernel should make kernel modules easier ( the new KLD
    stuff verses the old modload stuff ), but it has nothing to do with
    being able to run ELF binaries.

    ELF has been around for a long time.  It has slightly more run-time
    overhead then a.out ( but this can be optimized ).  ELF is designed
    to more directly support shared libraries and dynamic loading where 
    as a.out was hacked to support shared libraries and dynamic loading.
    ELF also has core features useful to object oriented languages such as C++.
    For example, initialization domains.

    I always like to say:  ELF is on par with the Amiga's object/link/binary
    format.  It's nice to see UNIX finally catch up.  <GRIN>!

    But, most importantly, there has been a general trend towards ELF in the
    last decade and getting on that bandwagon is important, especially if we
    want to maintain native compatibility with Linux and other operating 
    systems.  The importance of maintaining compatibility cannot be 
    underestimated.

						    -Matt

    Matthew Dillon  Engineering, HiWay Technologies, Inc. & BEST Internet 
                    Communications & God knows what else.
    <dillon@backplane.com> (Please include original email in any response)    


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