Re: How to convert BSD a.out files to Mach files using atom

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2 total messages Started by Charles William Swiger Wed, 27 Jan 1993 04:52

#4877

Author: Charles William Swiger
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 04:52

37 lines
2155 bytes

Excerpts from netnews.comp.sys.next.misc: 26-Jan-93 How to convert BSD
a.out fi.. by Michael Sepa@enel.ucalga 
>         I have an executable file on a SUN computer and I want to use
>         atom to convert it to an executable on my NeXT.  I have tried
>         to use:
>  
>         >atom a.out machfile
>  
>         and then execute the machfile:
>  
>         >machfile
>         Segmentation fault
>         
>    [ ...munch...]
>  
>         I have studied the atom man page, but I don't have a clue.  Could
>         some kind person show me the light?  Maybe I don't know what
>         atom is supposed to do.  I thought it could convert executables.

Atom converts executables and object files compiled for the NeXT in the
BSD4.3 a.out format into the Mach-O format.  There is no way that it is
going to be able to convert an executable compiled for a different
machine into something runable on the NeXT.  (Why?  Amoung many reasons,
the Sun executable likely was compiled for a different *CPU* than the
680x0...)

You will have to get the source code to whatever it is and recompile it
for the program to run on your NeXT.  (Sorry...)

-Chuck


Charles William Swiger -- CMU...*crunch*! | "Foosh.  Aaughh!!"
------------------------------------------+ "Foosh.  Aauuggghh!!"
AMS & normal mail:        infidel@cmu.edu | "Cold spray deodorant...."
Failing that:        cs4w+@andrew.cmu.edu |
NeXTmail:   chuck@mon.slip.andrew.cmu.edu |  -- Opus, Bloom County [RIP]

Re: How to convert BSD a.out files to Mach files using atom

#4844

Author: Carl Edman
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 12:17

21 lines
1942 bytes

In article <gfNVIM200WB3QHXHhM@andrew.cmu.edu> Charles William Swiger <infidel+@CMU.EDU> writes:
   Atom converts executables and object files compiled for the NeXT in the
   BSD4.3 a.out format into the Mach-O format.  There is no way that it is
   going to be able to convert an executable compiled for a different
   machine into something runable on the NeXT.  (Why?  Amoung many reasons,
   the Sun executable likely was compiled for a different *CPU* than the
   680x0...)

   You will have to get the source code to whatever it is and recompile it
   for the program to run on your NeXT.  (Sorry...)

Not quite.  Actually it has been done with Sun binaries, but all
instances I remember have been two aeons (ie. operating system
versions) or more ago.  Of course the initial binary has to be a Sun-3
binary (ie. 680x0 code) and it certainly has to be statically linked
(aren't all Sun-3 binaries ?).  Doubtlessly there also are plenty of
programming constructs which break this, and possibly the black magic
which is needed to make it work is gone from modern NeXT OS
distributions.  All I am saying is that it has been done.

        Carl Edman

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