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Re: Binary compatibility between Linux and other OSes



On Mon, 14 Jul 1997, Meir Litmanovich wrote:

> > 2. Can SPARC-Linux run Sparc-Solaris executables (and vice versa)? Can
> > MIPS-Linux run IRIX' executables? Can Alpha Linux run the executables of
> > Alpha's Digital Unix?

> SPARC Linux runes Sparc-Solaris executables and they works nice .
Well - that figures, since the h/w platform is identical, and the POSIX
takes care of all the rest (although it's not so simple)
BUT -
> Alpha Linux runes Alpha binaries and also Linux 80x86 binaries AFAIK.
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^                         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

??? When we're talking about binaries, we're talking about (allmost)
raw machine-language scripts! even if sources can (sometimes) be 
compiled and linked on different platforms - with no changes, here 
you're talking about raw assembly! It's not remotely possible that 
80x86 binaries would run on Alpha! think about all the differences in
the assemblies of the two platforms, the interrupts, the exceptions
handling mechanisms (which all the system-calls are based on) and so on...


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