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From: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org>
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: FreeBSD vs Linux
Date: 5 Apr 1996 06:01:16 GMT
Organization: Utah Valley State College, Orem, Utah
Lines: 53
Message-ID: <4k2cvc$j8e@park.uvsc.edu>
References: <4issad$h1o@nadine.teleport.com> <4jejjt$cdb@park.uvsc.edu> <315E0F1A.4E3FB53D@lucon.org> <Pine.LNX.3.91.960401105810.31921A-100000@gallup.cia-g.com> <4jso8v$n5i@dyson.iquest.net> <31642098.75AB4317@gnu.ai.mit.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: hecate.artisoft.com
"H.J. Lu" <hjl@gnu.ai.mit.edu> wrote:
] You should thank Linux for that. Ask John Polstra for yourself. FYI, my
] next binutils 2.6.0.12 will support FreeBSD/ELF.
[ ... ]
] You sure can do that since most of ELF tools have been well
] debugged under Linux.
[ ... ]
] I thought that would create a better ELF for both Linux and FreeBSD.
] John found an ELF bug which was undetected under Linux. Ian fixed
] it and 2.6.0.11 was released for further testing.
[ ... ]
] That means some ELF bugs won't be found/fixed anytime soon.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Solaris and SVR4 both use ELF...
why won't the problems be debugged there insetad of FreeBSD
(or Linux, for that matter)?
In other words, why is it necessary for FreeBSD to switch over
to ELF? "To find ELF bugs" is a silly rationale, even if
FreeBSD were the only source of feedback...
I don't disagree that there *can be* long term benefits to ELF,
only that there is any immediate benefit, other than "it is new,
we must flock to it in a zombie-like stupor".
You can't claim superiority unless you can demonstrate actively
available features which would not be available otherwise. For
Linux, it's BSD-style shared libraries and LGPL relink clause
workaround. For BSD, which has BSD-style shared libraries --
hence the name, and doesn't use LGPLed libraries (and hence
doesn't suffer the relink clause problems over major revision
number changes), you have *not* demonstrated anything beyond
"Little. Yellow. Different. Better" (the same reasons we
should all buy Advil instead of Tylenol), and "Better" is still
up in the air.
Regards,
Terry Lambert
terry@cs.weber.edu
---
Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present
or previous employers.