Re: Will a.out disappear?

Christopher J. Shaulis (cjs@netcom.com)
Sun, 18 Feb 1996 10:55:20 -0500 (EST)

> Raj Mathur (raju@gratis.xgroup.ernet.in) =E9crit :
>
> > the Powers That Be to consider keeping a.out in the kernel as a confi=
> g
> > option, at the very least.
>
> It is so now (and enabled by default for the time being, since many
> people have not 100%-ELFified their system). IMO keeping a.out as
> a config option is The Right Choice(tm) here (removing it would save
> no more than a few thousand bytes, after all... !)

The biggest problem with getting 100% ELF is Netscape. I've tried
several times to communicate with the guy who maintains the Linux
port, and basicly he is 100% sure that:

1) ELF is a fad that will dry up and blow away
2) Everybody still uses a.out
3) Motif does not work on Linux. [because Motif compiled aganist X11R5
libs and includes crashes when run on an X11R6 server - has something
to do with the palette management routines. He has yet to try a Motif
compiled aganist X11R6 libs and includes.] This is why it is linked
static to so many libraries.

I think we need to send the guy a Redhat CD and get someone big-time to
correct his beliefs about 1, 2, and 3.

Then we can finally go 100% ELF =)

Christopher