Return to BSD News archive
Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!newshost.telstra.net!act.news.telstra.net!psgrain!iafrica.com!peacenjoy.mikom.csir.co.za!news.uoregon.edu!news.dacom.co.kr!news.kreonet.re.kr!usenet.seri.re.kr!news.cais.net!news.jsums.edu!gatech!newsfeed.internetmci.com!news.MediaCity.com!usenet From: "H.J. Lu" <hjl@gnu.ai.mit.edu> Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Re: FreeBSD vs Linux Date: Fri, 05 Apr 1996 11:31:21 -0800 Organization: Ooops Lines: 51 Message-ID: <31657509.5E45C160@gnu.ai.mit.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$n5i@dyson.iquest.net> <31642098.75AB4317@gnu.ai.mit.edu> <4k2cvc$j8e@park.uvsc.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: jimi.innovix.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=gb2312 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.01 (X11; I; Linux 1.3.81 i586) Terry Lambert wrote: > ] 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)? > Why Solaris and SVR4 when the ELF tools work ok there? As I said, at present, Linux is the only x86 platform where all aspects of the GNU ELF tools are tested. I hope FreeBSD can join us for a better ELF. We have a few items on our ELF wish list. I was hoping Linux/FreeBSD could make a better ELF. > 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 have been flamed on that by people like you from the Linux camp :-(. Someone has to do it. If not for Linux, your FreeBSD/ELF tools may not like what you have today. I thought FreeBSD might be fun. It seems that I was wrong :-(. > > 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". Assume you have to switch to ELF, why not now? It will make commercial software vendors easier to write softwares for you. > > 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. Ask your FreeBSD/ELF gurus for why ELF is better than a.out and what it can do for you and a.out cannot. H.J.