> Will the a.out format for executables disappear altogether from the
> kernel sometime in the future? I'm concerned since some people do not
> have the time, disk space, net bandwidth, etc. to upgrade to ELF. As
> you might guess, yours truly is one of these. Additionally, I feel
> (about my machines only!) if it ain't broke why fix it?
Don't be afraid of this change. We only moved some things from one source
file to an other to have the binfmt structure and the associated
functions (binary loading, library loading, core dumper) in a nice form
and very symmetric wrt different bin formats. It is now much cleaner and
let you choose the type of compiling for each format independend: as
module, in kernel or not at all.
> However, upgrading the kernel is one activity which I do perform on a
> regular basis -- bug fixes, speed enhancements, security enhancements,
> more features. Hence this mail can also be construed as a request to
> the Powers That Be to consider keeping a.out in the kernel as a config
> option, at the very least.
I don't see a.out stripped from the kernel sources in the timeframe of 2.0
and 2.1. Heck, look at the xiafs and the extfs here. Even if it is
kicked out (unlikely), it could and would survive as a standalone module
like iBCS.
mfg
Rolf Rossius