Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!auspex!guy
From: guy@auspex.auspex.com (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Shared libraries (was Re: Window system bashing (was Re: X11 bashing))
Message-ID: <7763@auspex.auspex.com>
Date: 12 May 91 18:53:30 GMT
References: <BZS.91May4202942@world.std.com> <572@appserv.Eng.Sun.COM> <1991May09.032802.27213@decuac.dec.com>
Organization: Auspex Systems, Santa Clara
Lines: 60

>	I was talking this over with someone the other day who claimed
>that SunOs' more recent versions have "often used" utilities like /bin/ls
>statically linked because there were complaints of performance hits -
>can anyone confirm or deny this?

Unless they're thinking of some SunOS release that hasn't come out yet,
yes, I can completely deny it:

	bootme% cat /etc/motd
	SunOS Release 4.1.1 (MCDLCD60) #9: Wed Mar 27 18:23:07 PST 1991
	bootme% file /usr/bin/ls
	/usr/bin/ls:    sparc pure dynamically linked executable
	bootme% cd /usr/bin
	bootme% file * | egrep -v \
	'dynamically linked|symbolic link|shell script|Permission denied'
	bar:            sparc demand paged executable
	hostname:       sparc pure executable
	ln:             sparc pure executable
	mv:             sparc pure executable
	rfuadmin:       commands text
	sh:             sparc demand paged executable
	sunview1:       directory
	tar:            sparc demand paged executable
	bootme% cd /usr/ucb
	bootme% file * | egrep -v \
	'dynamically linked|symbolic link|shell script|Permission denied'
	rcp:            sparc demand paged set-uid executable

("/bin" is, of course, a symbolic link to "/usr/bin", so there's no
point in looking at it).  So the set of regular utilities that are
statically linked includes:

	bar - beats me why it's statically linked, unless it's by
	    analogy to "tar"
	hostname - it's run as part of the very early boot sequence,
	    before "/usr" is mounted, i.e. before any shared libraries
	    are available
	sh - see "hostname"
	tar, rcp - statically linked so they can be used to snarf shared
	    libraries from somewhere else if you trash them (definitely
	    true of "rcp", I think that was the reason for "tar" as well
	    but I'm not sure)
	ln, mv - maybe the same as for "tar" and "rcp"

>Is "ldconfig" or whatever it's called still a dynamically linked file?]

	bootme% file /usr/etc/ldconfig
	/usr/etc/ldconfig:      sparc pure dynamically linked executable
	bootme% cd /usr/etc
	bootme% file * | egrep -v \
	'dynamically linked|symbolic link|shell script|Permission denied'
	fsck:           sparc demand paged executable
	ifconfig:       sparc demand paged executable
	init:           sparc demand paged executable
	intr:           sparc demand paged executable
	mount:          sparc demand paged executable
	praudit:        sparc pure executable
	restore:        sparc demand paged set-uid executable
	update:         sparc executable
	yp:             directory