From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Aug 15 00:08:11 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A2BCC37B401 for ; Fri, 15 Aug 2003 00:08:11 -0700 (PDT) Received: from puffin.mail.pas.earthlink.net (puffin.mail.pas.earthlink.net [207.217.120.139]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id F360F43FBF for ; Fri, 15 Aug 2003 00:08:10 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from tlambert2@mindspring.com) Received: from user-2ivfj3i.dialup.mindspring.com ([165.247.204.114] helo=mindspring.com) by puffin.mail.pas.earthlink.net with asmtp (SSLv3:RC4-MD5:128) (Exim 3.33 #1) id 19nYgk-00057t-00; Fri, 15 Aug 2003 00:07:55 -0700 Message-ID: <3F3C8690.61789ED4@mindspring.com> Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 00:06:56 -0700 From: Terry Lambert X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.79 [en] (Win98; U) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: "S.Gopinath" References: <004a01c36248$a7bc51d0$31a764a4@tn.nic.in> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-ELNK-Trace: b1a02af9316fbb217a47c185c03b154d40683398e744b8a4e43c37711fbd76bc9e1180650f1f6b4e3ca473d225a0f487350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c cc: hackers@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: a.out binaries X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 07:08:11 -0000 "S.Gopinath" wrote: > > I'm required to run a.out binaries like foxplus > > in a recent Intel based hardware. I have chosen > > FreeBSD 5.1 and successfuly installed. But I could > > not run a.out binaries like Foxplus. I tried it by > > load ibcs modules and aout modules in /boot/kernel > > directory. My foxplus did not work. > > > > I require your suggestions regarding this. > > > > I may not use FreeBSD 2.1 version as I require > > driver for Adaptec 7902 (Ultra Wide SCSI 320). The a.out file format is a file format, not an ABI definition. In the particular case you are talking about, the a.out file you are trying to run is an SCO Xenix ABI binary, rather than a 386BSD/FreeBSD 1.x/2.x binary. In order to support this, you would need to support the Xenix system call entry points, and to recognize the file as a Xenix a.out binary, and to trap to a Xenix system call entry table, rather than a FreeBSD or some other entry point table. This is actually not a very difficult thing to do (for example, you do not have to worry about shared libraries), but it requires kernel modifications in order to support it. This is not supported at this time. If you have a Xenix system with developement tools on it, a competent kernel programmer who knew both platforms and had access to the tools could probably have you up and running in a few weeks, at most. -- Terry