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- ARDI: I apologize for posting this to this list. But there have now been 8
- or more messages about people who want elf libraries under linux, so I figured
- I'd better explain this.
-
- Linux users: quick doc on elf. If you don't run linux, I suggest you
- delete this message, as it's long and awful boring.
-
- First, at least so far, ARDI hasn't released an ELF-linked binary. So you
- _shouldn't_ have to worry about it at all. Apparently that's not the case.
- Anyway, if ardi releases an a.out binary, you should use an a.out library.
- If ardi releases an elf binary, you should then use an elf version of
- svgalib.
-
- So for now: compile svgalib-1.2.7 as a.out. The instructions say how. They
- are very straight-foreward. svgalib-1.2.7 even comes with a pre-compiled
- a.out library. This should work fine with executor.
-
- Next: people have been asking about compiling things in a.out format. If
- you have a machine with elf libraries on it, the default is for gcc to use
- elf, not a.out format. To get a.out format, you need to do:
-
- gcc -b i486-linuxaout filename blah blah blah
-
- *AND*. This is an important and. If you are linking libraries or have a
- makefile that uses "ld", then you also need to change ld commands to:
-
- ld -m i386linux blah blah blah
-
- NOTE that is not a typo. It really is "i386linux" with a "3". I don't know
- why. Ask HLU.
-
- Now, if you have a.out and elf libraries, you might want to keep them BOTH,
- as programs will eventually start being distributed under both formats (like
- X11 programs are -- doom and abuse are both in a.out format). Do the same
- thing that the DOCUMENTATION said to do for your X distribution. That is,
- go into /lib and make a directory called "aout" for all of your old aout
- libraries. Throw your svgalib-1.2.7 aout version into this directory. Add
- an entry for that directory in /etc/ld.so.conf.
- Put your ELF library into /lib. THen run "ldconfig". Everything should
- straighten itself out: programs linked against a.out svgalib will use
- /lib/aout/svgalib-1.2.7, while elf-linked binaries will use
- /lub/svgalib-1.2.7.
-
- Last note. Many people have written here that they expected the linux
- elf svgalibs to magically teleport and install themselves correctly
- when they compiled them. The DOCUMENTATION says that this is not the
- case, and installation needs to be done manually. So when you make your
- svgalib and svgagl stuff in elf format, you need to manually copy them
- from your src directory to your library directory and run ldconfig.
-
- If I confused anyone, you should probably just wait for elf to become the
- dominant library format. It's currently not suitable for the weak or
- simple-minded; it's darn complex and a bit confusing. If you understood
- what I wrote above, good luck to you, and mail me any questions.
-
- Oh, for the record ARDI folks, executor 1.2.7 doesn't work on my machine either
- (I'm running a 2-meg VL-bus S3 805 board, like others who have already
- posted bug reports... I guess it's a chipset problem right now...)
-
- But the X version is amazing. I'm totally impressed with the work you
- folks have done so far. If there's anything I can do to help debug the
- svgalib version (my screen goes black, but I still retain control of the
- machine) I'd love to help... I don't know how to get any debug output from
- it right now though.
-
- Joe
- --
- / Joe Waters | "My center is giving way, my right is pushed back \
- | falc@scf.nmsu.edu | Situation Excellent, I am attacking." - Foch |
- \ Carpe Jugulus | http://scf.nmsu.edu/~falc/Falc.html /
-
-