Subject: Re: Testing executables across all m68k ports
To: None <rhealey@aggregate.com>
From: Chris G. Demetriou <cgd@alpha.bostic.com>
List: current-users
Date: 07/18/1994 15:30:00
> 	Since the m68k port has 4 implementations, hp300, Amiga, Mac and Sun 3,
> 	has anybody checked to see if executables created on one will work
> 	on the other 3?

(don't forget the da30!  8-)

with the possible exception of the hp300, they should all be
"mostly interoperable."  I.e. all binaries that aren't
kernel-dependent should be OK.  I've personally used i think it
was amiga binaries on the mac, and believe the sun3's being
worked on, with an amiga binary set...

> 	That would be quite a feather in the NetBSD cap if it really does
> 	work!

It does.  It's just a matter of getting things set up so that
they share them, "in real life."  Part of that is determining
what the machine dependent binaries are.  I'm working on something
related (but not closely) now, for the release.

>	Especially if things like X clients could be swapped back
> 	and forth!

In theory it should work.  if other binaries do (and they do)
there's no reason X clients shouldn't.

>	In theory all executables except X servers should be
> 	exchangable between the above 4 implementations yes?

with the exception of things that deal with machine-specific
features -- there are a few for each architecture, and i'm
honestly not sure if programs that use the kvm lib will work.


chris

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