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2c1d6172 | 1 | This directory contains the version 2.6 release of the GNU C Library. |
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2 | |
3 | The GNU C Library is the standard system C library for all GNU systems, | |
4 | and is an important part of what makes up a GNU system. It provides the | |
5 | system API for all programs written in C and C-compatible languages such | |
6 | as C++ and Objective C; the runtime facilities of other programming | |
7 | languages use the C library to access the underlying operating system. | |
8 | ||
9 | In GNU/Linux systems, the C library works with the Linux kernel to | |
10 | implement the operating system behavior seen by user applications. | |
11 | In GNU/Hurd systems, it works with a microkernel and Hurd servers. | |
12 | ||
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13 | The GNU C Library implements much of the POSIX.1 functionality in the |
14 | GNU/Hurd system, using configurations i[34567]86-*-gnu. | |
15 | ||
16 | When working with Linux kernels, the GNU C Library version 2.4 is | |
17 | intended primarily for use with Linux kernel version 2.6.0 and later. | |
18 | We only support using the NPTL implementation of pthreads, which is now | |
19 | the default configuration. Most of the C library will continue to work | |
20 | on older Linux kernels and many programs will not require a 2.6 kernel | |
21 | to run correctly. However, pthreads and related functionality will not | |
22 | work at all on old kernels and we do not recommend using glibc 2.4 with | |
23 | any Linux kernel prior to 2.6. | |
24 | ||
25 | All Linux kernel versions prior to 2.6.16 are known to have some bugs that | |
26 | may cause some of the tests related to pthreads in "make check" to fail. | |
27 | If you see such problems, please try the test suite on the most recent | |
28 | Linux kernel version that you can use, before pursuing those bugs further. | |
29 | ||
30 | The old LinuxThreads add-on implementation of pthreads for older Linux | |
31 | kernels is no longer supported, and we are not distributing it with this | |
32 | release. Someone has volunteered to revive its maintenance unofficially | |
33 | for at least a short time for the benefit of those using Linux kernels | |
34 | older than 2.6, but a working version is not presently available. When | |
35 | it is in working condition, we will make it available alongside future | |
36 | glibc releases. LinuxThreads will not be supported. | |
37 | ||
38 | The GNU C Library supports these configurations for using Linux kernels: | |
39 | ||
40 | i[34567]86-*-linux-gnu | |
41 | x86_64-*-linux-gnu | |
42 | powerpc-*-linux-gnu | |
43 | powerpc64-*-linux-gnu | |
44 | s390-*-linux-gnu | |
45 | s390x-*-linux-gnu | |
46 | ia64-*-linux-gnu | |
47 | sparc*-*-linux-gnu | |
48 | sparc64*-*-linux-gnu | |
49 | ||
50 | alpha*-*-linux-gnu Requires Linux 2.6.9 for NPTL | |
51 | sh[34]-*-linux-gnu Requires Linux 2.6.11 | |
52 | ||
53 | The code for other CPU configurations supported by volunteers outside of | |
54 | the core glibc maintenance effort is contained in the separate `ports' | |
2c1d6172 | 55 | add-on. You can find glibc-ports-2.6 distributed separately in the |
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56 | same place where you got the main glibc distribution files. |
57 | Currently these configurations are known to work using the `ports' add-on: | |
58 | ||
59 | arm-*-linux-gnu Requires Linux 2.6.15 for NPTL, no SMP support | |
60 | arm-*-linux-gnueabi Requires Linux 2.6.16-rc1 for NPTL, no SMP | |
61 | mips-*-linux-gnu Requires Linux 2.6.12 for NPTL | |
62 | mips64-*-linux-gnu Requires Linux 2.6.12 for NPTL | |
63 | ||
64 | The ports distribution also contains code for other configurations that | |
65 | do not work or have not been maintained recently, but will be of use to | |
66 | anyone trying to make a new configuration work. If you are interested | |
67 | in doing a port, please contact the glibc maintainers; see | |
68 | http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/ for more information. | |
69 | ||
70 | See the file INSTALL to find out how to configure, build, and install | |
71 | the GNU C Library. You might also consider reading the WWW pages for | |
72 | the C library at http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/. | |
73 | ||
74 | The GNU C Library is (almost) completely documented by the Texinfo manual | |
75 | found in the `manual/' subdirectory. The manual is still being updated | |
76 | and contains some known errors and omissions; we regret that we do not | |
77 | have the resources to work on the manual as much as we would like. For | |
78 | corrections to the manual, please file a bug in the `manual' component, | |
79 | following the bug-reporting instructions below. Please be sure to check | |
80 | the manual in the current development sources to see if your problem has | |
81 | already been corrected. | |
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82 | |
83 | The file NOTES contains a description of the feature-test macros used | |
84 | in the GNU C library, explaining how you can tell the library what | |
85 | facilities you want it to make available. | |
86 | ||
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87 | Please see http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/bugs.html for bug reporting |
88 | information. We are now using the Bugzilla system to track all bug reports. | |
89 | This web page gives detailed information on how to report bugs properly. | |
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90 | |
91 | The GNU C Library is free software. See the file COPYING.LIB for copying | |
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92 | conditions, and LICENSES for notices about a few contributions that require |
93 | these additional notices to be distributed. |