Messages in this thread | | | Date | Sun, 20 Jan 2008 06:18:22 +0100 | From | Andi Kleen <> | Subject | Re: [PATCH for mm] Remove iBCS support |
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On Sun, Jan 20, 2008 at 03:16:25PM +1030, David Newall wrote: > Andi Kleen wrote: > > On Sun, Jan 20, 2008 at 12:57:29PM +1030, David Newall wrote: > > > >> compatibility. This is a sleeping giant for Linux. There are plenty of > >> > > > > Interesting choice of words. > > > KFC and Dominoes use SCO for their cash registers, to pick just two > enormous future opportunities.
I suppose if they update their cash registers they will just go with fully Linux binaries.
> > But it does not make sense for all Linux kernels to always check for iBCS executables > > when they don't have to code to run them anyways. > > > > I don't suppose you're suggesting this will make a big difference. Even > if every exec did nothing but immediately exit, it still wouldn't make > much difference.
It's not a big difference, but why do unnecessary work on all Linux kernels? There are a lot of Linux machines out there and if all of them only do a little unnecessary work each fork() over a year it adds up to really a lot of wasted cycles.
Especially since the few people who might really need it can easily readd it.
> Likewise, I take your point about proper iBCS support (and I suppose > it's really iBCS2 that we're talking about.) My concern is that > removing this now gains almost nothing, 2 strcmp per exec is as close to > nothing as anything, but it sends a message with which I disagree. The > message should be that Linux is good for, well the same things FreeBSD > is, and includes running Solaris and SCO binaries. This is a major
But Linux is not good for this currently, at least not unless you add a significant patch (which I'm not sure does even exist for modern 2.6; iBCS was mainly deployed on 2.4 kernels). And when you add that patch you can easily readd the strcmps too.
> simplification of the story, I know, but still hits the plot highlights.
You're worried about this patch generating headlines?
-Andi
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