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From: dyson@cbnewsk.att.com (john.s.dyson)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386
Subject: Re: Why can't elves cough? (terminology)
Summary: AT&T SVr3.2.2 does support ELF at least in some sense
Message-ID: <1991Mar14.042940.3415@cbnewsk.att.com>
Date: 14 Mar 91 04:29:40 GMT
References: <6405@unix386.Convergent.COM> <10719@scolex.sco.COM> <1991Mar14.001906.29397@ico.isc.com>
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 36

In article <1991Mar14.001906.29397@ico.isc.com>, rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn) writes:
> To clarify some points which seemed confused in the discussion between Sean
> Fagan and Mike Burg:  The terms "BCS" and "ABI" refer to different animals,
> although they're both of the same species (a definition of a "system inter-
> face for compiled application programs").
> 
> Background: SVID == System V Interface Definition - definition of the
> programs, system calls, libraries, etc.
> 
> BCS == Binary Compatibility Specification:  This is the V.3.2 animal; it
> refers to SVID 2nd edition; COFF spoken here.  COFF == Common Object File
> Format.  BCS is undergoing extensive revision (mostly extension) to cover
> things not present in the original version.  You'll hear this work called
> "BCS2".
> 
> ABI == Application Binary Interface:  This is the V.4 animal; it refers to
> SVID 3rd edition; ELF is a part of it.  ELF == Executable and Linking
> Format.  However, note that V.4 will provide support for BCS (and there-
> fore can run COFF programs).  I don't know, but I would not expect support
> for ELF on V.3.2 systems--why retrofit it, rather than just go to V.4?
> 
> Summary:
> 	BCS	V.3.2	COFF	SVID 2
> 	ABI	V.4	ELF	SVID 3
> -- 
> Dick Dunn     rcd@ico.isc.com -or- ico!rcd       Boulder, CO   (303)449-2870
>    ...But is it art?

Note that at least AT&T SVR3.2.2 can run ELF and a Software generation system
is available that produces ELF files for SVR3.2.2.  I do not know if the
SVR3.2.2 support is a subset or not though.  The ANSI compiler in fact
is an ELF format file.  The tools such as dis, etc can convert COFF
to ELF automatically.

John Dyson
inuxy.att.com