Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!wuarchive!uunet!auspex!guy
From: guy@auspex.auspex.com (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.internals
Subject: Re: Shared Library Objectives (Was: Shared Lib Question (ISC))
Message-ID: <7917@auspex.auspex.com>
Date: 19 May 91 18:18:34 GMT
References: <1991May11.011213.4846@NCoast.ORG> <1991May13.144438.21103@sco.COM> <1991May16.121906.15128@micrognosis.co.uk>
Organization: Auspex Systems, Santa Clara
Lines: 9

>One you haven't mention is reduction of on-disk program size. One of the
>rumours I've heard is that Sun introduced shared libraries to reduce the number
>of tapes needed for OS upgrades.

Rumors are always a source of entertainment.  Yes, a reduction in disk
space usage was one of the reasons for doing shared libraries in SunOS
4.x; other reasons were to allow more code sharing without having to
introduce gross hacks like "toolmerging", and to provide a general
dynamic-linking capability.