Re: [HACKERS] NEW POSTGRESQL LOGOS

Dr. Michael Meskes writes:
> Matthew N. Dodd writes:
> > > Excuse? I think glibc is intended to be standard everywhere. As far as I
> > > know, it has nothing to do with Linux other than Linux (as usual) is
> > > faster to adopt it than some of the "legacy systems".
> >
> > 'standard' in what sense?
>
> In that it is the base for a common binary format for all Intel Unix
> platforms. The idea is for applications to be used on all these systems
> without need for recompilation.
>
> > In the sense that Linux uses it you are correct.
>
> No. The others will/should follow.
>
> > I don't expect NetBSD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, BSDI, Solaris, Digital Unix, AIX,
> > HPUX, SCO/Unixware etc to use it.
>
> As long as they are not on Intel architecturey ou're probably right.
>
> Michael

Thank you. I was going to say all this, but you have done a better job.

Linux previously used its very own libc. This was not a bad libc and we
have all been very happy with it, but programs tended to get littered with
"/usr/include/linux" includes as the libc depended on Linux.

The whole point of Glibc is to make Linux MORE STANDARD. Glibc is intended
to be the reference libc. And it is not a Linux thing. It is a standard thing.
So that no Linuxisms creep into your code. So that it is portable.

This of course is most useful if the remaining platforms adopt it too.
Given current trends, I suspect this will happen.

Of course, right now only Redhat 5.0 and 5.1 use it. And Redhat has taken
a lot of heat for it too in the more ignorant parts of the Linux community.

The other distributions will follow. Debian is almost there. And all the
neat new packages will follow. And so eventually all the Intel platforms will
have a Glibc so they can use all that fun new stuff. And the good news is
that Glibc is portable in the sense that if you have Glibc, Glibc programs
work. So the effect is now the other Intel Unixs get to run all the nice
new Linux binaries. Look at that, install a library, get access to more
software. If you want (not have, want) to you can even build software that
will run on Linux with no Linux.

But "no good deed ever goes unpunished", so now we have people _complaining_
about how awful and nonstandard and horrible Linux is for useing Glibc.

All else aside, the non Linux Unixs are going to support Linux compatibility.
Or educate all 10 million Linux users ;-). And Glibc is far better for a
non Linux system then Linux Libc5.

Ingrates! ;-)

-dg

David Gould dg(at)illustra(dot)com 510.628.3783 or 510.305.9468
Informix Software (No, really) 300 Lakeside Drive Oakland, CA 94612
"There is this special biologist word we use for 'stable'.
It is 'dead'." -- Jack Cohen