Intel Binary Compatibility Standard

The Intel Binary Compatibility Standard (iBCS) is a standardized application binary interface (ABI) for Unix operating systems on Intel 386–compatible computers, published by AT&T, Intel and SCO. It standardizes various operating system interfaces, including such things as filesystem hierarchy layout,[1][2] so that Unix programs would run on the various vendor-specific Unix implementations for Intel hardware (such as Xenix, SCO Unix and System V implementations).[3]

First published in 1988, the iBCS extended source-level standards such as POSIX and XPG3.[4] A second edition was announced in 1990, with standardized interfaces to VGA graphics as the main change.[5] iBCS, edition 2, was supported by various Unix versions, such as UnixWare and third-party implementations. A Linux implementation was developed in the early 1990s, and was capable of running ELF, COFF and x.out (Xenix) binaries ca. 1994.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "/opt : Add-on application software packages". Filesystem Hierarchy Standard. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  2. ↑ George Kraft IV (1 November 2000). "Where to Install My Products on Linux?". Linux Journal. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  3. ↑ Taylor, Noel-Marie (15 June 1993). "Consensys V 4.2". PC Magazine: 234.
  4. ↑ Cameron, Debra (1991). Unix standards. Computer Technology Research Corp. p. 64.
  5. ↑ Scott Mace (27 August 1990). "Binary Unix 386 Standard to Be Revised". InfoWorld.
  6. ↑ Strobel, Stefan; Uhl, Thomas (1994). Linux—Unleashing the Workstation in Your PC. Springer-Verlag. p. 54.