Xref:	news2.mv.net comp.os.msdos.djgpp:3868
From:	lehmann AT mathematik DOT th-darmstadt DOT de (Alexander Lehmann)
Newsgroups:	comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject:	Re: ELF wanted
Date:	14 May 1996 23:50:07 GMT
Organization:	Technische Hochschule Darmstadt
Lines:	43
Message-ID:	<4nb67f$1e3o@rs18.hrz.th-darmstadt.de>
References:	<s199a75e DOT 017 AT MAIL DOT TAIT DOT CO DOT NZ>
NNTP-Posting-Host:	fb0403.mathematik.th-darmstadt.de
To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com
DJ-Gateway:	from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp

Bill Currie (bill_currie AT MAIL DOT TAIT DOT CO DOT NZ) wrote:
: On 15/5/96  2:42 am, Martynas Kunigelis <martynas DOT kunigelis AT vm DOT ktu DOT lt> did thus
: say >>>
: >   Well, now that we have complete ELF documentation, someone (e.g. me) could
: > start moving DJGPP to it. But here again arises the rethorical question: IS
: > IT WORTH IT? With ELF, we could use more Linux binary tools etc., and
: > have the DLL implementation made easier. But what about Win32? AFAIK Win32
: > uses COFF, and, as Malcolm said, if someone writes Win32 support (will anyone?
: > ?????), we could use the advantages of Win32 COFF-based DLL engine. So the
: > point is: either we (?) start making the Win32 support or begin adopting
: > DJGPP for ELF. But wait, could it be that both ways were possible? I mean
: > having Win32 support with ELF? Or, perhaps, move Win32 to ELF ;-) ?? Bill?
: > Malcolm? What do you think? Is adding Win32 support *very* complicated? Or are
: > header files and that kinda stuff the only problem? Is a different linker
: > reqired or just a different stub loader?
: > 
: > Enough for now, it's WAY too hot in Lithuania right now...    :)
: > 
: > Martynas

: Well, Eric Nicolas and I are working on a coff based dll system for djgpp, so
: moving to ELF will not be neccesary for that purpose.  However, improved debug
: support would be nice.

: Is it possible to convert between the two formats (maybe losing debug info)?  If
: it is then it doesn't really matter if djgpp goes to ELF or not, as any linkers
: for win32 can take the object files back to coff.

I think ELF places more restrictions on code style than COFF (if COFF does
at all). The code is usually position independent (probably only for libraries)
but you have to keep one register unused that is used for making calls
position independent. So converting from COFF to ELF is probably not possible.
(Well, that's what I gathered from some announcements with Linux moved to
 ELF, maybe I'm incorrect)


bye, Alexander

--
Alexander Lehmann,                                  |  "On the Internet,
alex AT hal DOT rhein-main DOT de  (plain, MIME, NeXT)         |   nobody knows
lehmann AT mathematik DOT th-darmstadt DOT de (plain)          |   you're a dog."
!!CHANGED!! <URL:http://www.mathematik.th-darmstadt.de/~alexlehm/>

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