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From: shadow@pawl.rpi.edu (Deven T. Corzine)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: IFF executable file format? (was Re: Yet another 1.4 wish)
Message-ID: <SHADOW.89Jun27170431@pawl.rpi.edu>
Date: 27 Jun 89 21:04:31 GMT
References: <16905@louie.udel.EDU> <1989Jun13.214755.5251@ziebmef.uucp>
	<3418@cps3xx.UUCP> <1149.AA1149@geo-works>
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In-reply-to: bryan@geo-works.UUCP's message of 22 Jun 89 01:28:23 GMT

In article <1149.AA1149@geo-works> bryan@geo-works.UUCP (Bryan Ford) writes:
>Good idea.  Too bad the Amiga's executable file formats aren't forward
>compatible like IFF.  Hmmm...I wonder if it would be feasible to create a
>new executable file format that uses an IFF standard for executables.
>Maybe 'X68K'?  Who knows.  Probably wouldn't be practical, unless C-A is
>planning to put IFF stuff in ROM.

This is exactly the idea I have been contemplating using for the
standard executable format for Amigix.  (Amigix is a (major) project
based in part on implementing Unix V7 on the Amiga... Email for more
info, or check comp.sys.amiga.tech if the old threads haven't
expired.)

The idea is you could put other things, like an icon, startup screen,
the actual source code, stack size, whatever, all with the binary.  It
could be a very flexible format.  I haven't had time to work
extensively on it, however.  :-(

As for putting it in ROM, the amigix.library (containing IFF support
code and loader, along with Unix syscalls and other stuff) would be in
RAM, but shared, so it could do well enough...  thoughts/comments?

>Oh well, nice idea while it lasted...

Oh, it's still a nice idea...  I haven't dropped it yet.

Deven
--
shadow@[128.113.10.2]   <shadow@pawl.rpi.edu> Deven T. Corzine (518) 272-5847
shadow@[128.113.10.201] <shadow@acm.rpi.edu>  2346 15th St.    Pi-Rho America
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