Bug 19586 - iBCS doesn't function in RH7.0
Summary: iBCS doesn't function in RH7.0
Keywords:
Status: CLOSED WONTFIX
Alias: None
Product: Red Hat Linux
Classification: Retired
Component: kernel
Version: 7.0
Hardware: i386
OS: Linux
medium
medium
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Arjan van de Ven
QA Contact: Brian Brock
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2000-10-23 06:05 UTC by Lee Howard
Modified: 2007-04-18 16:29 UTC (History)
1 user (show)

Fixed In Version:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed: 2002-12-16 04:12:21 UTC
Embargoed:


Attachments (Terms of Use)

Description Lee Howard 2000-10-23 06:05:37 UTC
Trying to run SCO 3.2v4.2 binaries on RedHat Linux 7.0.  The presence of 
the kernel-ibcs rpm seems to indicate this intended functionality.  
However...

[root@metroid games]# rpm -qa | egrep -i iBCS
kernel-ibcs-2.2.16-22
[root@metroid games]# ls -l hangman
-rwx--x--x    1 gdm      ftp         11170 Feb 27  1991 hangman
[root@metroid games]# ./hangman
bash: ./hangman: cannot execute binary file
[root@metroid games]#

The result is identical for *any* binary in the system.

Lee Howard

Comment 1 Lee Howard 2000-10-23 18:08:24 UTC
This is a problem, too:

[root@metroid games]# /sbin/modprobe binfmt_coff
modprobe: Can't locate module binfmt_coff
[root@metroid games]#

Comment 2 giulioo 2001-04-22 18:53:38 UTC
This is maybe an obvious question, however, have you loaded the iBCS module?


Comment 3 Lee Howard 2001-04-22 21:36:50 UTC
Hi Giulio - we seem to bump into each other all over the place ;-)

If this is what you mean:

[root@metroid hylafax]# rpm -qa | grep -i "ibcs"
kernel-ibcs-2.2.16-22
[root@metroid hylafax]# find / -name "binfmt_coff*"
find: /proc/6/fd: Permission denied
/usr/src/linux-2.2.16/ibcs/iBCSemul/binfmt_coff.c
[root@metroid hylafax]#

then yes, the module is loaded, although I can't see it anywhere either.

Actually, AFAIK, iBCS was deprecated by Linux-ABI which is run by Christoph 
Hellwig (of Caldera - which assimilated SCO) at 
http://216.136.171.200/linux-abi/
and has a functioning patch for kernel 2.4.3 there.

I have discussed the issue above about SCO 3.2v4.2 binaries not working with 
him, and although he can use other peoples' SCO 3.2v4.2 binaries - he cannot 
use any of mine from this particular system (which work perfectly fine in 
SCO).  And that's bizarre.

According to him (from what I understood), however, "modprobe: Can't locate 
module binfmt_coff" indicates that RedHat's iBCS implementation is incomplete 
or incorrect.  I have to admit, though, that I haven't been extremely diligent 
in trying to root-out this particular problem - as it became readily apparent 
that I wasn't going to be able to migrate that SCO 3.2v4.2 system to Linux 
anyway.

Comment 4 giulioo 2001-04-22 22:05:09 UTC
Didn't see it was you :-). I had a problem related to iBCS so I did a search 
before filing.

I meant
# modprobe iBCS

$ lsmod|grep iBCS
iBCS                   65948   0
$



Comment 5 Lee Howard 2001-04-22 22:23:48 UTC
That works fine, but I didn't have this module loaded before when testing that 
hangman binary.  Too bad I don't have that binary around to test with any more 
(3.2v4.2 didn't come with TCP/IP by default, so it's a bit difficult to get 
back via tape or floppy).  It wasn't loaded before, though.  Possibly RedHat 
changed the names of the module?  Maybe I'll hunt around for that binary 
somewhere...


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