Binary Compatibility 80286

[Doug Gwyn <gwyn>]

It's truly amazing how people can extract
more from my words than even I thought were
there.  I am glad to find out that I don't
believe software should be tested before
being sold to customers, etc.  I hadn't
realized I had these strange notions..

Back to the original subject:  To get full
executable binary interchangeability across
different implementations of UNIX, you need:
	(1) identical instruction set
	    architecture, including floating-
	    point if it is used (this can be
	    a real problem if the micro chip
	    vendor provides a deficient FPU)
	(2) identical object file format,
	    which constrains what one is able
	    to do about such important system
	    features as virtual memory, shared
	    libraries, dynamic linking,
	    checkpointing, multiple languages,
	    software release control, etc.
	(3) identical system call interface,
	    which constrains extensions, version
	    updates, etc.
	(4) compatible virtual address space
	    layouts
	(5) standard set of system utilities
	    for use within applications
Bill Gates's simplistic solution is for everyone
to adopt Xenix, no more and no less.  This is
detrimental to the development of better systems!

Standardization need not imply severe obstacles
to progress, if done right.  But just grabbing
one particular implementation and requiring its
use is not doing it right.

As to the mass market, as I have pointed out
there is no need for a single binary format
even for a given chip set; there is ample
precedent for variety in the marketplace,
and in general it leads to better products
being developed as a result of competition.

As to UNIX's "success":  UNIX has already
been spectacularly successful, whether
anyone has made a buck on it or not.  There
are other criteria of success than financial.

Personally, I think that Thompson, Ritchie,
et. al. and the organization that supported
their work deserve to profit from it, but
those who do little more than just resell
what they developed don't get much sympathy
from me when they complain that they're not
getting as filthy rich as they want to be.