Messages in this thread | | | From | (H. Peter Anvin) | Subject | Re: This thread is silly (Re: Dropping a.out support) | Date | 3 May 1997 18:07:39 GMT |
| |
Followup to: <199705030226.TAA28107@stiefel.Stanford.EDU> By author: "Paul H. Hargrove" <hargrove@sccm.Stanford.EDU> In newsgroup: linux.dev.kernel
> The same thing which happens right now if you install from any recent > (read ELF-based) distribution and don't install the optional a.out > libraries. Presumably the distribtion maintainers are intelligent to > include an a.out-capable loader and dynamic linker along with things > like an a.out libc. So, with a new distribution that ships with ld.so > 1.9.2 both the problem and solution will be the same as they are now.
> IMHO the discontinuation of support for a.out in ld.so is no different > than the discontinuation of development of a.out libc. It simply > means that a.out binaries will not be able to take advantage of any > improvements (including bug fixes) that are made in newer libraries. > The bigest complication (again IMHO) is the necessity of keeping both > old and new versions in /lib.
Actually, the only real concern is probably ldconfig, since ldconfig *is* used by both the a.out and the ELF shared library system. As long as ldconfig doesn't break on a.out libraries, everything should be just hunky-dory with distributors sticking /lib/ld.so etc in their a.out compatibility package.
-hpa
-- Always looking for a few good BOsFH. ** Linux - the OS of global cooperation I am Baha'i -- ask me about it or see http://www.bahai.org/
| |