Date: 21 Jan 1997 07:46:01 +0100 From: Peter Mutsaers <plm@xs4all.nl> To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Commerical applications (was: Development and validation Message-ID: <87g1zvjzkm.fsf@localhost.xs4all.nl> In-Reply-To: Terry Lambert's message of Mon, 20 Jan 1997 13:47:35 -0700 (MST) References: <87680rr0vn.fsf@totally-fudged-out-message-id>
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>> On Mon, 20 Jan 1997 13:47:35 -0700 (MST), Terry Lambert
>> <terry@lambert.org> said:
>> > 1) Linux has ELF.
>> > 2) FreeBSD does not.
>> > 3) ELF is desirable
>> > 4) Linux is doing something right that FreeBSD isn't.
>>
>> Item 4 is *NOT* the inevitable result of 1, 2, and 3. You've
>> forgotten that ELF was *necessary* in Linux in order for it to
>> get beyond a certain stage, and it's not (yet) necessary in
>> FreeBSD.
TL> ELF was *not* necessary for Linux to obtain BSD-style shared
TL> libraries; BSD is proof of that. If you are referring to a
TL> different stage than that, then I argue that the same is true
TL> of BSD.
>> Plus, the entire move to ELF was *NOT* done with the users best
>> interest in mind.
TL> If FreeBSD did not move to ELF because it was "protecting" the
TL> best interests of its users, then it made an error.
During Linux's move to ELF I was using it and very shortly after ELF
first became available I converted my system to it (about one year
before official release).
I think that the move to ELF was not hard for users and I see not how
it could have been done otherwise: ELF and a.out were available
concurrently (and still are).
But: Linux's move to ELF was indeed absolutely necessary because of
the way that shared libraries were implemented before that. ELF was a
big improvement for Linux: mostly for developers and for those who
create distributions, but that is indirectly also for the benefit of
end users of course: If developers have a hard time or start to hate
what they are doing, then they won't be very productive anymore.
As Linux had to go through using a different shared library format,
they might as well go to a fully up-to-date standard.
FreeBSD on the other hand does have a sensible shared library
mechanism and does not need so urgently to move to ELF. It would be
nice to have, but the necessity clearly is much less as it was for
Linux. Personally I think it is getting time now, but I am convinced
that in the previous 4 items, item 1,2,3 are true but 4 is not.
--
Peter Mutsaers | Abcoude (Utrecht), | Trust is a good quality
plm@xs4all.nl | the Netherlands | for other people to have
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