From: Kevin Cummings (cummings@hammer.Prime.COM)
Date: 05/15/92


From: cummings@hammer.Prime.COM (Kevin Cummings)
Subject: Re: Don't use linked libs for crutial stuff [was:Re: rc Shell Under Linux]
Date: Fri, 15 May 1992 17:49:21 GMT

In article <1992May14.181343.21837@news.stolaf.edu>, johnsonm@mari.acc.stolaf.edu (Michael K. Johnson) writes:
> In article <1992May14.130424.16522@wam.umd.edu> joel@wam.umd.edu (Joel M. Hoffman) writes:
>
> I think that anything really vital should be statically linked. As I
> see it, this would include a shell, mount, rm, cp, sync (!) and
> perhaps tar (that's a killer) or dd.
>
> The idea is that if you inadvertantly delete the shared lib apparatus,
> or mangle one or more of your partitions, you should be able to restore
> enough to get shared libs working again.
>
> I think that the regular rootimage disk should use shared libs, but
> that an emergency rootimage disk that uses only staticly linked stuff
> should be available for fixing things. Jim -- could you make this as
> well? I hate to volunteer you, but you've done a good job so far...

Assumptions:
        1) /bin is for programs that are needed to cold start the system,
                and must be capable of running even if /usr is not yet mounted.
        1a) other programs in /bin are to help recover from system
                catastrophies (like /usr died) and must also be self contained.
        2) shared libs are installed in /usr/lib.
        3) programs in /usr/bin can have dependancies on /usr/lib.
                programs in /bin can't.
        4) There should be no LARGE libraries in /lib.

Conclusions:
        1) programs in /bin must be statically linked and be able to
                be run without /usr yet mounted.
        2) programs in /usr/bin can depend on shared libs.

Shouldn't the root disks be set up in this way?

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