6 ms·

Of particular note: This release brings 64 bit support to the Linux compatibility layer. I suppose when windows caught up Bash on Windows, FreeBSD needed to do

by dallbee 11y ago

Of particular note: This release brings 64 bit support to the Linux compatibility layer. I suppose when windows caught up Bash on Windows, FreeBSD needed to do something to keep one step ahead =].

akerro 11y ago
>The Linux® compatibility layer has been substantially improved and now is capable of running 64-bit applications on amd64 (x86_64), 1:1 threading What does 1:1 threading mean?
- xtf 11y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_%28computing%29#1:1_.28kernel-level_threading.29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_%28computing%29#1:1_.28...: 1:1 (kernel-level threading) Threads created by the user in a 1:1 correspondence with schedulable entities in the kernel[10] are the simplest possible threading implementation. OS/2 and Win32 used this approach from the start, while on Linux the usual C library implements this approach (via the NPTL or older LinuxThreads). This approach is also used by Solaris, NetBSD, FreeBSD, OS X, and iOS.
  - mkup 11y ago
    It's also worth noting that FreeBSD used to rely on M:N threading model (via libkse) then switched to 1:1 threading model (via libthr).
  - jdub 11y ago
    Though LinuxThreads was M:N, and Solaris migrated to 1:1 relatively recently too (as did others).
    - the_why_of_y 11y ago
      No, LinuxThreads was 1:1. Maybe you are thinking of IBM's NGPT proposal? http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2002/11/07/linux_threads.html?page=2 http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2002/11/07/linux_threads.... "Relatively recently" would be Solaris 8, in 2000.
- kev009 11y ago
  There are at least three theoretical implementations of userland threads in an Operating System: * 1:1, where each userland thread maps directly to a kernel thread * 1:N, where several userland threads map directly to one kernel thread * M:N, where the kernel maintains a pool of threads and dispatches userland threads to them History has shown that 1:1 threading has the best trade offs. It's worth more independent research if you are interested in Operating Systems.
  - akerro 11y ago
    Thanks
  - anthk 11y ago
    That's reminds me of database record relations.
    - akerro 11y ago
      Or just re-use of basic structures ;)
mlu 11y ago
What are the limitations of the Linux compability layer?
- mioelnir 11y ago
  Going by the compat.linux.osrelease sysctl, it is currently providing the kernel interface of Linux kernel version 2.6.32 (the one that ships with RHEL6). Similarly, the GNU userland that can be installed is based on CentOS6. So, if your application requires newer kernel interfaces that were introduced in 3.x or 4.x, it will not work.
cetinsert 11y ago
Except this is not keeping one step ahead. Windows does run 64-bit Linux binaries natively, watch https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2016/P488 https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2016/P488 (skip to 05:12).
- mioelnir 11y ago
  So, Windows is catching up to parity. shrug
toomanythings2 11y ago
FreeBSD has supported Linux compatibility for many years and, purportedly, can run some Linux applications faster than Linux itself so FreeBSD has always been miles ahead.
- feld 11y ago
  In FreeBSD 6 I could get more fps in America's Army FPS game through Linuxulator on FreeBSD than through running native Linux.
yxlx 11y ago
I don't think Windows had anything to do with this. I think the feature has been in development since before and it is released because it's what users want, not because of what Microsoft are doing.
- mioelnir 11y ago
  Initial Linux64 support landed in FreeBSD11 on 2015-05-24. The code freeze for the 10.2 release started on 2015-07-03. Those 5'ish weeks was simply not enough time to get such a major addition sufficiently settled down for inclusion in the stable release branch. As such, it is now part of 10.3R.
eatonphil 11y ago
Wow! Thanks for pointing this out! I had no idea it was coming so soon. I'm so excited to upgrade. This is particularly useful for some niche compilers (like Poly/ML) who have special features for only linux-x86_64.
- schwarze_pest 11y ago
  What are those special features?
  - eatonphil 11y ago
    Actually, I may have gotten my facts mixed up. It is Golang that only supports some compiling features on linux-x86 like shared object libraries or something along those lines. I can't remember off the top of my head and I can't seem to find what I'm looking for.
drewg123 11y ago
Slightly pedantic, but FreeBSD/alpha ran 64-bit Linux alpha binaries back in 2000/2001 , and 64-bit DEC OSF/1 / Tru64 binaries much earlier. I think we probably should have ripped the bandaid off, and started supporting 64-bit Linux binaries much earlier on FreeBSD/amd64

by dallbee 11y ago

Of particular note: This release brings 64 bit support to the Linux compatibility layer. I suppose when windows caught up Bash on Windows, FreeBSD needed to do something to keep one step ahead =].

akerro 11y ago

>The Linux® compatibility layer has been substantially improved and now is capable of running 64-bit applications on amd64 (x86_64), 1:1 threading What does 1:1 threading mean?

xtf 11y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_%28computing%29#1:1_.28kernel-level_threading.29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_%28computing%29#1:1_.28...: 1:1 (kernel-level threading) Threads created by the user in a 1:1 correspondence with schedulable entities in the kernel[10] are the simplest possible threading implementation. OS/2 and Win32 used this approach from the start, while on Linux the usual C library implements this approach (via the NPTL or older LinuxThreads). This approach is also used by Solaris, NetBSD, FreeBSD, OS X, and iOS.
- mkup 11y ago
  It's also worth noting that FreeBSD used to rely on M:N threading model (via libkse) then switched to 1:1 threading model (via libthr).
- jdub 11y ago
  Though LinuxThreads was M:N, and Solaris migrated to 1:1 relatively recently too (as did others).
  - the_why_of_y 11y ago
    No, LinuxThreads was 1:1. Maybe you are thinking of IBM's NGPT proposal? http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2002/11/07/linux_threads.html?page=2 http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2002/11/07/linux_threads.... "Relatively recently" would be Solaris 8, in 2000.
kev009 11y ago
There are at least three theoretical implementations of userland threads in an Operating System: * 1:1, where each userland thread maps directly to a kernel thread * 1:N, where several userland threads map directly to one kernel thread * M:N, where the kernel maintains a pool of threads and dispatches userland threads to them History has shown that 1:1 threading has the best trade offs. It's worth more independent research if you are interested in Operating Systems.
- akerro 11y ago
  Thanks
- anthk 11y ago
  That's reminds me of database record relations.
  - akerro 11y ago
    Or just re-use of basic structures ;)

mlu 11y ago

What are the limitations of the Linux compability layer?

mioelnir 11y ago
Going by the compat.linux.osrelease sysctl, it is currently providing the kernel interface of Linux kernel version 2.6.32 (the one that ships with RHEL6). Similarly, the GNU userland that can be installed is based on CentOS6. So, if your application requires newer kernel interfaces that were introduced in 3.x or 4.x, it will not work.

cetinsert 11y ago

Except this is not keeping one step ahead. Windows does run 64-bit Linux binaries natively, watch https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2016/P488 https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2016/P488 (skip to 05:12).

mioelnir 11y ago
So, Windows is catching up to parity. shrug

toomanythings2 11y ago

FreeBSD has supported Linux compatibility for many years and, purportedly, can run some Linux applications faster than Linux itself so FreeBSD has always been miles ahead.

feld 11y ago
In FreeBSD 6 I could get more fps in America's Army FPS game through Linuxulator on FreeBSD than through running native Linux.

yxlx 11y ago

I don't think Windows had anything to do with this. I think the feature has been in development since before and it is released because it's what users want, not because of what Microsoft are doing.

mioelnir 11y ago
Initial Linux64 support landed in FreeBSD11 on 2015-05-24. The code freeze for the 10.2 release started on 2015-07-03. Those 5'ish weeks was simply not enough time to get such a major addition sufficiently settled down for inclusion in the stable release branch. As such, it is now part of 10.3R.

eatonphil 11y ago

Wow! Thanks for pointing this out! I had no idea it was coming so soon. I'm so excited to upgrade. This is particularly useful for some niche compilers (like Poly/ML) who have special features for only linux-x86_64.

schwarze_pest 11y ago
What are those special features?
- eatonphil 11y ago
  Actually, I may have gotten my facts mixed up. It is Golang that only supports some compiling features on linux-x86 like shared object libraries or something along those lines. I can't remember off the top of my head and I can't seem to find what I'm looking for.

drewg123 11y ago

Slightly pedantic, but FreeBSD/alpha ran 64-bit Linux alpha binaries back in 2000/2001 , and 64-bit DEC OSF/1 / Tru64 binaries much earlier. I think we probably should have ripped the bandaid off, and started supporting 64-bit Linux binaries much earlier on FreeBSD/amd64