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diff --git a/includes/etch/install/doc/FAQ/html/ch-compat.html b/includes/etch/install/doc/FAQ/html/ch-compat.html index 4e92270..0696449 100644..120000 --- a/includes/etch/install/doc/FAQ/html/ch-compat.html +++ b/includes/etch/install/doc/FAQ/html/ch-compat.html @@ -1,386 +1 @@ -<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> - -<html> - -<head> - -<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> - -<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Compatibility issues</title> - -</head> - -<body> - -<p><a name="ch-compat"></a></p> -<hr> - -<p> -[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">previous</a> ] -[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] -[ 3 ] -[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">4</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">5</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">6</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">7</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">8</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">9</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">10</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">11</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">12</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">13</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">14</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">15</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">next</a> ] -</p> - -<hr> - -<h1> -The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ -<br>Chapter 3 - Compatibility issues -</h1> - -<hr> - -<h2><a name="s-arches"></a>3.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?</h2> - -<p> -Debian GNU/Linux includes complete source-code for all of the included -programs, so it should work on all systems which are supported by the Linux -kernel; see the <code><a -href="http://en.tldp.org/FAQ/Linux-FAQ/intro.html#DOES-LINUX-RUN-ON-MY-COMPUTER">Linux -FAQ</a></code> for details. -</p> - -<p> -The current Debian GNU/Linux release, 4.0, contains a complete, binary -distribution for the following architectures: -</p> - -<p> -<em>i386</em>: this covers PCs based on Intel and compatible processors, -including Intel's 386, 486, Pentium, Pentium Pro, Pentium II (both Klamath and -Celeron), and Pentium III, and most compatible processors by AMD, Cyrix and -others. -</p> - -<p> -<em>m68k</em>: this covers Amigas and ATARIs having a Motorola 680x0 processor -for x>=2; with MMU. -</p> - -<p> -<em>alpha</em>: Compaq/Digital's Alpha systems. -</p> - -<p> -<em>sparc</em>: this covers Sun's SPARC and most UltraSPARC systems. -</p> - -<p> -<em>powerpc</em>: this covers some IBM/Motorola PowerPC machines, including -CHRP, PowerMac and PReP machines. -</p> - -<p> -<em>arm</em>: ARM and StrongARM machines. -</p> - -<p> -<em>mips</em>: SGI's big-endian MIPS systems, Indy and Indigo2; -<em>mipsel</em>: little-endian MIPS machines, Digital DECstations. -</p> - -<p> -<em>hppa</em>: Hewlett-Packard's PA-RISC machines (712, C3000, L2000, A500). -</p> - -<p> -<em>ia64</em>: Intel IA-64 ("Itanium") computers. -</p> - -<p> -<em>s390</em>: IBM S/390 mainframe systems. -</p> - -<p> -The development of binary distributions of Debian for Sparc64 (UltraSPARC -native) architectures is currently underway. -</p> - -<p> -For further information on booting, partitioning your drive, enabling PCMCIA -(PC Card) devices and similar issues please follow the instructions given in -the Installation Manual, which is available from our WWW site at <code><a -href="http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/installmanual">http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/installmanual</a></code>. -</p> - -<hr> - -<h2><a name="s-otherdistribs"></a>3.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?</h2> - -<p> -Debian developers communicate with other Linux distribution creators in an -effort to maintain binary compatibility across Linux distributions. Most -commercial Linux products run as well under Debian as they do on the system -upon which they were built. -</p> - -<p> -Debian GNU/Linux adheres to the <code><a -href="http://www.pathname.com/fhs/">Linux Filesystem Hierarchy -Standard</a></code>. However, there is room for interpretation in some of the -rules within this standard, so there may be slight differences between a Debian -system and other Linux systems. -</p> - -<p> -Debian GNU/Linux supports software developed for the <code><a -href="http://www.linuxbase.org/">Linux Standard Base</a></code>. The LSB is a -specification for allowing the same binary package to be used on multiple -distributions. Packages for the Debian Etch release must not conflict with -requirements of the LSB, v1.3. As of this writing, Debian GNU/Linux is not -formally LSB-certified. However, some Debian derived distributions are. -Discussion and coordination of efforts towards ensuring Debian meets the -requirements of the Linux Standard Base is taking place on the <code><a -href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-lsb/">debian-lsb mailing list</a></code>. -</p> - -<hr> - -<h2><a name="s-otherunices"></a>3.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?</h2> - -<p> -For most applications Linux source code is compatible with other Unix systems. -It supports almost everything that is available in System V Unix systems and -the free and commercial BSD-derived systems. However in the Unix business such -claim has nearly no value because there is no way to prove it. In the software -development area complete compatibility is required instead of compatibility in -"about most" cases. So years ago the need for standards arose, and -nowadays POSIX.1 (IEEE Standard 1003.1-1990) is one of the major standards for -source code compatibility in Unix-like operating systems. -</p> - -<p> -Linux is intended to adhere to POSIX.1, but the POSIX standards cost real money -and the POSIX.1 (and FIPS 151-2) certification is quite expensive; this made it -more difficult for the Linux developers to work on complete POSIX conformance. -The certification costs make it unlikely that Debian will get an official -conformance certification even if it completely passed the validation suite. -(The validation suite is now freely available, so it is expected that more -people will work on POSIX.1 issues.) -</p> - -<p> -Unifix GmbH (Braunschweig, Germany) developed a Linux system that has been -certified to conform to FIPS 151-2 (a superset of POSIX.1). This technology -was available in Unifix' own distribution called Unifix Linux 2.0 and in -Lasermoon's Linux-FT. -</p> - -<hr> - -<h2><a name="s-otherpackages"></a>3.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?</h2> - -<p> -Different Linux distributions use different package formats and different -package management programs. -</p> -<dl> -<dt><strong>You probably can:</strong></dt> -<dd> -<p> -A program to unpack a Debian package onto a Linux host that is been built from -a `foreign' distribution is available, and will generally work, in the sense -that files will be unpacked. The converse is probably also true, that is, a -program to unpack a Red Hat or Slackware package on a host that is based on -Debian GNU/Linux will probably succeed in unpacking the package and placing -most files in their intended directories. This is largely a consequence of the -existence (and broad adherence to) the Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Standard. -The <code><a href="http://packages.debian.org/alien">Alien</a></code> package -is used to convert between different package formats. -</p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl> -<dt><strong>You probably do not want to:</strong></dt> -<dd> -<p> -Most package managers write administrative files when they are used to unpack -an archive. These administrative files are generally not standardized. -Therefore, the effect of unpacking a Debian package on a `foreign' host will -have unpredictable (certainly not useful) effects on the package manager on -that system. Likewise, utilities from other distributions might succeed in -unpacking their archives on Debian systems, but will probably cause the Debian -package management system to fail when the time comes to upgrade or remove some -packages, or even simply to report exactly what packages are present on a -system. -</p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl> -<dt><strong>A better way:</strong></dt> -<dd> -<p> -The Linux File System Standard (and therefore Debian GNU/Linux) requires that -subdirectories under <samp>/usr/local/</samp> be entirely under the user's -discretion. Therefore, users can unpack `foreign' packages into this -directory, and then manage their configuration, upgrade and removal -individually. -</p> -</dd> -</dl> - -<hr> - -<h2><a name="s-libc5"></a>3.5 Is Debian able to run my old libc5 programs?</h2> - -<p> -Yes. Just install the required <code>libc5</code> libraries, from the -<samp>oldlibs</samp> section (containing old packages included for -compatibility with older applications). -</p> - -<hr> - -<h2><a name="s-libc5-compile"></a>3.6 Can Debian be used to compile libc5 programs?</h2> - -<p> -Yes. Install <code>libc5-altdev</code> and <code>altgcc</code> packages (from -the <samp>oldlibs</samp> section). You can find the appropriate libc5-compiled -<code>gcc</code> and <code>g++</code> in directory -<samp>/usr/i486-linuxlibc1/bin</samp>. Put them in your $PATH variable to get -<code>make</code> and other programs to execute these first. -</p> - -<p> -Be aware that libc5 environment isn't fully supported by our other packages -anymore. -</p> - -<hr> - -<h2><a name="s-non-debian-programs"></a>3.7 How should I install a non-Debian program?</h2> - -<p> -Files under the directory <samp>/usr/local/</samp> are not under the control of -the Debian package management system. Therefore, it is good practice to place -the source code for your program in /usr/local/src/. For example, you might -extract the files for a package named "foo.tar" into the directory -<samp>/usr/local/src/foo</samp>. After you compile them, place the binaries in -<samp>/usr/local/bin/</samp>, the libraries in <samp>/usr/local/lib/</samp>, -and the configuration files in <samp>/usr/local/etc/</samp>. -</p> - -<p> -If your programs and/or files really must be placed in some other directory, -you could still store them in <samp>/usr/local/</samp>, and build the -appropriate symbolic links from the required location to its location in -<samp>/usr/local/</samp>, e.g., you could make the link -</p> - -<pre> - ln -s /usr/local/bin/foo /usr/bin/foo -</pre> - -<p> -In any case, if you obtain a package whose copyright allows redistribution, you -should consider making a Debian package of it, and uploading it for the Debian -system. Guidelines for becoming a package developer are included in the Debian -Policy manual (see <a href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs">What other -documentation exists on and for a Debian system?, Section 11.1</a>). -</p> - -<hr> - -<h2><a name="s-termcap"></a>3.8 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?</h2> - -<p> -Debian uses the <samp>terminfo</samp> database and the <samp>ncurses</samp> -library of terminal interface routes, rather than the <samp>termcap</samp> -database and the <samp>termcap</samp> library. Users who are compiling -programs that require some knowledge of the terminal interface should replace -references to <samp>libtermcap</samp> with references to -<samp>libncurses</samp>. -</p> - -<p> -To support binaries that have already been linked with the <samp>termcap</samp> -library, and for which you do not have the source, Debian provides a package -called <code>termcap-compat</code>. This provides both -<samp>libtermcap.so.2</samp> and <samp>/etc/termcap</samp>. Install this -package if the program fails to run with the error message "can't load -library 'libtermcap.so.2'", or complains about a missing -<samp>/etc/termcap</samp> file. -</p> - -<hr> - -<h2><a name="s-accelx"></a>3.9 Why can't I install AccelX?</h2> - -<p> -AccelX uses the <samp>termcap</samp> library for installation. See <a -href="#s-termcap">Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?, -Section 3.8</a> above. -</p> - -<hr> - -<h2><a name="s-motifnls"></a>3.10 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?</h2> - -<p> -You need to install the <code>motifnls</code> package, which provides the -XFree-2.1 configuration files needed to allow Motif applications compiled under -XFree-2.1 to run under XFree-3.1. -</p> - -<p> -Without these files, some Motif applications compiled on other machines (such -as Netscape) may crash when attempting to copy or paste from or to a text -field, and may also exhibit other problems. -</p> - -<hr> - -<p> -[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">previous</a> ] -[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] -[ 3 ] -[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">4</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">5</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">6</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">7</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">8</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">9</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">10</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">11</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">12</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">13</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">14</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">15</a> ] -[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">next</a> ] -</p> - -<hr> - -<p> -The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ -</p> - -<address> -version 3.1.5, 17 January 2007<br> -<br> -Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> -<br> -</address> -<hr> - -</body> - -</html> - +ch-compat.en.html
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