Plethora of binary executable formats

[Randall Howard]

   One major factor preventing the more universal popularity of UNIX has
been the lack of one binary format (at least for a class of CPU) for
executable files, enabling software to be sold as a commodidy.  Consider
the market size of over 10 million for the IBM PC running DOS and it is
easy to see why software vendors are somewhat put off from entering the
UNIX marketplace.  I am interested in finding out the minimum number of
binary executable formats needed to properly supply the Intel iAPX*86
computer market for the various UNIX flavours.

   For example, I would assume that a Xenix distribution would require
support for the 8086 model and the 80386 model (assuming that the program
in question needed the extra addressibility of the 386).  The 286
model would not be required as the 8086 model would run on all 80*86
versions of Xenix.  A similar argument could be made for Microport
except that they only support 286 and 386.  Therefore, we now have
four formats so far.  I don't know if Bell Technologies is compatible with
Microport or not.

   If people could mail me other formats (e.g. for AIX, IX/386, PC/IX, etc),
and their compatibilities, I will compile a summary and post that
in the future.
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