From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: David Given Subject: Re: Regarding the Future of ELKS Date: Sun, 06 May 2007 18:13:23 +0100 Message-ID: <463E0CB3.30803@cowlark.com> References: <463CD3EB.6020506@nc.rr.com> <463D00EF.9060901@alaska.net> <463DCFF6.9020005@cowlark.com> <20070506144640.2096fadc@the-village.bc.nu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE Return-path: In-Reply-To: <20070506144640.2096fadc@the-village.bc.nu> Sender: linux-8086-owner@vger.kernel.org List-Id: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" To: Linux-8086 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Alan Cox wrote: [...] > Not sure there is a spec per se but the ELKS system originally used m= inix > format binaries (indeed I've used minix binaries on it). The later bi= nary > format fixes the minix 8086 design flaw where it puts the stack above= the > data. Instead ELKS puts the stack at the bottom of the data in a spac= e > size set at compile time. This allows brk() to work properly and avoi= ds > the chmem mess Minix has. According to the ACK source, Minix uses PC/IX a.out files! I never even= knew the standard had a name. Minix i86 appears to use CPU 4, which matches = the ELKS a.out.h file. Is there any way to distinguish between a Minix binary and an ELKS bina= ry? (Interestingly, putting the stack at the *bottom* of the data is exactl= y what I did with the CP/M platform. In my case it was to make it easier for b= rk() to tell where the end of the program area was. Strictly it shouldn't be ne= cessary for any platform to have a defined position for the stack; parameters c= an be passed to the executable via registers, and then setting up the stack c= an be a pure user-mode thing. I don't know if anyone actually does this, though= =2E) [...] > If nobody ever did that fix to Minix it might be more useful to teach > minix how to handle sane binary layouts and real memory allocation th= an > ELKS hacking 8) Can't comment on binary formats, but apparently someone is working on a= real VM for Minix 3, which should allow brk() to be actually useful. I'm hop= ing that I can wait until then before porting the ACK's new build system... - -- =E2=94=8C=E2=94=80=E2=94=80 =EF=BD=84=EF=BD=87=EF=BC=A0=EF=BD=83=EF=BD=8F= =EF=BD=97=EF=BD=8C=EF=BD=81=EF=BD=92=EF=BD=8B=EF=BC=8E=EF=BD=83=EF=BD=8F= =EF=BD=8D =E2=94=80=E2=94=80=E2=94=80 http://www.cowlark.com =E2=94=80=E2= =94=80=E2=94=80=E2=94=80=E2=94=80=E2=94=80=E2=94=80=E2=94=80=E2=94=80=E2= =94=80=E2=94=80=E2=94=80=E2=94=80=E2=94=80=E2=94=80=E2=94=80=E2=94=80=E2= =94=80=E2=94=80 =E2=94=82 "Parents let children ride bicycles on the street. But parent= s do not =E2=94=82 allow children to hear vulgar words. Therefore we can deduce = that cursing =E2=94=82 is more dangerous than being hit by a car." --- Scott Adams -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFGPgyzf9E0noFvlzgRAhFCAKC6g/9TRkTvt8/Ed7a08LOyb7WbWACfetkH wwapxf263425OWTpkevHxO8=3D =3DpLwQ -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-8086" i= n the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html