From owner-freebsd-questions Fri Dec 29 06:50:31 1995 Return-Path: owner-questions Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) id GAA22863 for questions-outgoing; Fri, 29 Dec 1995 06:50:31 -0800 (PST) Received: (from dyson@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) id GAA22857 Fri, 29 Dec 1995 06:50:29 -0800 (PST) From: John Dyson Message-Id: <199512291450.GAA22857@freefall.freebsd.org> Subject: Re: mailto:questions@FreeBSD.org To: craigs@venus.os.com (Craig Shrimpton) Date: Fri, 29 Dec 1995 06:50:28 -0800 (PST) Cc: msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au, deasey@netpath.net, questions@FreeBSD.org In-Reply-To: from "Craig Shrimpton" at Dec 29, 95 09:28:53 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] Content-Type: text Sender: owner-questions@FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk > > A hint, you're asking the wrong question. Stop thinking Linux and ask > > what you mean. > > > > ELF is not specific to Linux. > I think that the question that he asked is probably regarding both the ELF format and the potential advantages. FreeBSD already has a dynamic shared lib scheme similar to the SunOS method (for nearly a couple of years now.) Note that Linux is just now getting a dynamic shared lib scheme at the same time as ELF. As far as the binary format itself, it appears that a.out will continue to be the FreeBSD native format until multiplatform support demands a change (or a langauge or feature forces it.) FreeBSD will most likely be able to run linux ELF soon. The FreeBSD development tools will still produce a.out until the FreeBSD format changes. (Hope that this clarifies the situation.) Also, I sure wish that we would learn to be more tolerant of apparently innocent questions being asked. John Dyson dyson@freebsd.org