Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!apple!altos!altos86!ti
From: ti@altos86.Altos.COM (Ti Kan)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.misc
Subject: Re: Altos binary format?
Keywords: altos binary program format
Message-ID: <4649@altos86.Altos.COM>
Date: 29 Jan 91 22:44:15 GMT
References: <1136@bcs800.UUCP>
Reply-To: ti@altos86.UUCP (Ti Kan)
Organization: Altos Computer Systems, San Jose, CA
Lines: 33

In article <1136@bcs800.UUCP> jeffs@bcs800.UUCP (Jeff Smith) writes:
>Does anyone know the format of the Altos binaries?  Is it
>standard x.out format or does it support coff type?  Someone
>had mentioned the bytes were swapped, or perhaps an unusual
>header structure...anyone know for sure?
>
>thanks!
>jeffs

You didn't mention which operating system release running on
what Altos hardware.  Over the years, we have gone from XENIX III
to XENIX V to UNIX V.3.1 and now UNIX V.3.2.  All this occurred
on various hardware platforms from all proprietary to the
current open-architecture systems.  We have also switched to
straddling both the Motorola 68x and Intel 80x86 architectures
to being an exclusive Intel-based company.

Anyway, the Altos XENIX operating systems (on the Altos 186, 486,
586, 686, 886, 986, 1086, 2086, 3086 and 386/2000 machines) only
supported the x.out format.  I am not sure about any byte swapping or
unusual headers because these machine platforms pre-date my employment
at Altos.  The Altos UNIX-based operating systems (on the Altos
386/500, 386/600, 386/1000, 386/2000, 486/1000, System 5000, etc.)
both x.out and COFF binary format executables are supported.  On
these UNIX systems the x.out and COFF formats supported are quite
standard.

-Ti
-- 
Ti Kan | vorsprung durch technik!                                       \\\
Internet: ti@altos.com                                                   \\\
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