[ale] A common binary format for intel/unix

[Omar Loggiodice]

Hi folks,

   Take a look at this....great news!!!!
   
   

The 86open project
------------------

A group which includes some of the key developers of Unix operating
systems on Intel architecture computers have agreed to work on a
common programming and binary interface.

At a meeting held mid-August at the head office of SCO, participants
achieved consensus on a way to create software applications which would
run, without modification or emulation, on the Intel-based versions of:

- BSDI
- FreeBSD
- Linux
- NetBSD
- SCO OpenServer
- Sunsoft Solaris
- SCO UnixWare

The goal of this effort is to encourage software developers to port
to the Unix-Intel platform by reducing the effort needed to support
the diverse mix of operating systems of this kind currently available.

The specification, called "86open", will be published and freely
available to any environment wishing compliance. It involves the use of a
standardized 'libc' shared library of basic functions to be provided on
all systems. This library will provide a consistent interface to
programmers, hiding the differences between the various operating systems
and allowing the resulting binary programs to run unaltered on any
compliant system. Whenever possible, it will be consistent with The
Open Group's Single Unix Specification.

Each participating operating system will be free to implement the 86open
library specification on its own. However, the reference implementation
will be based upon GNU's 'glibc' version 2, ensuring that it will remain
open and freely available. The actual list and behavior of the 86open
functions is presently being determined.

Participants in the meeting, who will be involved with the ongoing
evolution of the 86open specification, include people deeply involved
with the operating systems mentioned in this project. The 86open
steering committee, a core of this group which will assemble
the work and produce the final specification, comprises:

Marc Ewing, Dion Johnson, Evan Leibovitch, Bruce Perens,
Andrew Roach, Bryan Sparks and Linus Torvalds

For more information, contact <86open at telly.org>
or check http://www.telly.org/86open

-- 
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  Omar R.  /__ /_/ /_/ /_/ / /_/ /_/ / /_  /-_  CIS: 74040,1543
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