Lxrun
Encyclopedia
In Unix
computing
, lxrun is a compatibility layer
to allow Linux
binaries to run on UnixWare
, SCO OpenServer
and Solaris without recompilation. It was created by Mike Davidson. It has been an open source
software project since 1997, and is available under the Mozilla Public License
. Both SCO and Sun Microsystems began officially supporting lxrun in 1999.
BrandZ, and various virtual machine
solutions. Newer Linux applications and host operating systems are not officially supported by lxrun.
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
computing
Computing
Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...
, lxrun is a compatibility layer
Compatibility layer
A compatibility layer is a term that refers to components that allow for non-native support of components.In software engineering, a compatibility layer allows binaries for a legacy or foreign system to run on a host system. This translates system calls for the foreign system into native system...
to allow Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
binaries to run on UnixWare
UnixWare
UnixWare is a Unix operating system maintained by The SCO Group . UnixWare is typically deployed as a server rather than desktop. Binary distributions of UnixWare are available for x86 architecture computers. It was originally released by Univel, a jointly owned venture of AT&T's Unix System...
, SCO OpenServer
SCO OpenServer
SCO OpenServer, previously SCO UNIX and SCO Open Desktop , is, misleadingly, a closed source version of the Unix computer operating system developed by Santa Cruz Operation and now maintained by the SCO Group....
and Solaris without recompilation. It was created by Mike Davidson. It has been an open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
software project since 1997, and is available under the Mozilla Public License
Mozilla Public License
The Mozilla Public License is a free and open source software license. Version 1.0 was developed by Mitchell Baker when she worked as a lawyer at Netscape Communications Corporation and version 1.1 at the Mozilla Foundation...
. Both SCO and Sun Microsystems began officially supporting lxrun in 1999.
Timeline
- August 22, 1997: lxrun is cited as a proof of concept of cross-platform binary compatibility at the 86open conference hosted by SCO in Santa Cruz, CA.
- August 29, 1997: lxrun's first mention on Usenet, in comp.unix.sco.misc. Most notably, the post mentions lxrun's availability in source and binary form from the SCO SkunkwareSCO SkunkwareSCO Skunkware, often referred to as simply "Skunkware", is a collection of Open Source software projects ported, compiled, and packaged for free redistribution on SCO operating environments. SCO Skunkware packaged components exist for SCO Xenix, SCO UNIX, SCO OpenServer 5, SCO OpenServer 6,...
FTP site. A later post in the thread mentions contributions by various authors, both inside and outside of SCO. - October 1, 1997: The official lxrun website is established.
- June 19, 1998: Ronald Joe Record, Michael Hopkirk, and Steven Ginzburg present a paper on lxrun at the USENIXUSENIX-External links:* *...
1998 Technical Conference in New Orleans, LA. - Mar 1, 1999: SCO announces Linux compatibility in UnixWare 7 and demonstrates lxrun at LinuxWorld Expo and Conference in San Jose, CA.
- May 12, 1999: Sun MicrosystemsSun MicrosystemsSun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
announces support for Linux binaries on Solaris using lxrun.
Current status
According to the official lxrun website, lxrun is now in "maintenance" mode, meaning that it is no longer being actively developed. Reasons cited for the declining interest in lxrun include the wide availability of real Linux machines, and the availability of more capable emulation systems, such as SCO's Linux Kernel Personality (LKP), OpenSolarisOpenSolaris
OpenSolaris was an open source computer operating system based on Solaris created by Sun Microsystems. It was also the name of the project initiated by Sun to build a developer and user community around the software...
BrandZ, and various virtual machine
Virtual machine
A virtual machine is a "completely isolated guest operating system installation within a normal host operating system". Modern virtual machines are implemented with either software emulation or hardware virtualization or both together.-VM Definitions:A virtual machine is a software...
solutions. Newer Linux applications and host operating systems are not officially supported by lxrun.
External links
- Official lxrun Website
- Sun's lxrun Website
- Sun's Solaris get compatible with Linux apps (CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, Fri 14 May 1999) - Lxrun - why wasn't it released under the GPL? (Pamela Jones, GroklawGroklawGroklaw is an award-winning website covering legal news of interest to the free and open source software community. Started as a law blog on May 16, 2003 by paralegal Pamela Jones at Radio UserLand, it has covered issues such as the SCO-Linux lawsuits, the EU anti-trust case against Microsoft, and...
, Wed 16 Aug 2006)