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If you're willing to dick around with the kernel config options, you can still get x86 Linux to run binaries from the early 90s. I vaguely recall reading a mail
by nly 13y ago
If you're willing to dick around with the kernel config options, you can still get x86 Linux to run binaries from the early 90s. I vaguely recall reading a mailing list thread where Alan Cox, I think it was, commented that he had a bunch a.out binaries from that era still kicking around for testing.
- Crito 13y agoAlan Cox said something to that effect on Google+ during that "stable ABI" slapfight a while ago: "However it's not an Open Source disease its certain projects like Gnome disease - my 3.6rc kernel will still run a Rogue binary built in 1992. X is back compatible to apps far older than Linux." https://plus.google.com/115250422803614415116/posts/hMT5kW8LKJk https://plus.google.com/115250422803614415116/posts/hMT5kW8L... (IIRC Alan Cox maintained a version of Rogue for linux for a while.)
- nly 13y agoIt's worth reading that G+ post just to see Alan Cox and Linus jumping all over GNOME
- pantalaimon 13y agoWell he has a point, while the kernel interfaces remain consistent, most userspace libraries have the habit of breaking compatibility every few years/get replaced altogether. It's easier to run the Windows version of early Linux games like Unreal through wine than getting the native version to work.
- krakensden 13y agoFor a while people were porting the RH5 libc around :/.
- nly 13y agoGlib and GTK+ remained ABI stable for the whole of 2.x afaik.