Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!oakhill!edw
From: edw@oakhill.UUCP (Ed Wiencek)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: ABI (or whatever the (proposed?) binary executable standard is
Keywords: ABi X
Message-ID: <1909@oakhill.UUCP>
Date: 16 Mar 89 18:38:03 GMT
References: <27385@apple.Apple.COM>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Motorola Inc. Austin, Tx
Lines: 58



I worked on the BCS(Binary Compatability Standard) for the 68k/88k here at 
Motorola. I also dabble in X so maybe I can help answer your question. 

 > Clearly I will want to run X on my Froboz architecture, but all
 > those who build their systems on the Froboz cpu will certainly not
 > have identically compatible X libraries and toolkits which would seem to
 > remove the possibility of taking a binary X program in the Froboz abi format
 > and having a chance of running it on any Froboz workstation?  right?

Wrong. The Motorola BCS--Binary Compatability Standard--doesn't care what high 
level libraries you include or don't include. IT DOES CARE WHAT THE OS INTERFACE
LOOKS LIKE. The BCS describes what the unix system call interface looks like. So
if one manufacturers 88k box runs a BCS compliant version of Unix and a 
different manufacturers system also has an 88k but some other version of Unix 
that is also BCS compliant, you should easily be able to take any X 
application and run it, instantly on either system.

Toolkits are built on top of the X library and both of these can be built on
top of Unix library subroutines but eventually all of these are built on 
top of Unix system calls. So long as you have X running on your BCS 
compliant system your BCS based executable X application can be picked up, 
moved and run on another BCS compliant system that is using the same 
microprocessor.

 > (I am not sure that abi is the right name, but I am talking about the
 > binary standard for unix executables, supposedly allowing any (e.g.) 88K abi
 > format progam to run on any 88k unix box supporting abi).

And now for a word on terminology. Motorola started calling their binary
interface standard the BCS. AT&T calls their interface the ABI-- Application 
Binary Interface. As far as I know, the ABI is a specification AT&T chooses to 
apply only to System V Release 4. On the other hand, Motorola felt the need to 
begin binary standards work and apply it to System V Release 3. Hence Motorola
has a BCS for System V Release 3. Motorola also plans to work with AT&T and 
have an ABI for the 88k and 68k families for System V Release 4. The BCS and 
ABI documents are different and perhaps someone from AT&T can talk about the
ABI. Either way, I expect that the answers for the ABI will be the same as I
have given for the BCS. I hope that clears up the terminology confusion.




				Sincerely,




				Ed Wiencek



	Ed Wiencek  MD 0E37            		{sun, im4u}!oakhill!edw
	Microprocessor Products Group	      oakhill!edw@cs.utexas.edu
	Motorola, Inc.  				   512-891-2283
	6501 William Cannon Drive West
	Austin, TX, 78735-8598