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diff --git a/README.template b/README.template index d501d718df..5e22a270b5 100644 --- a/README.template +++ b/README.template @@ -1,49 +1,91 @@ This directory contains the version VERSION release of the GNU C Library. -Many bugs have been fixed since the last release. -Some bugs surely remain. - -As of this release, the GNU C library is known to run on the following -configurations: - - *-*-gnu GNU Hurd - i[3456]86-*-linux-gnu Linux-2.x on Intel - m68k-*-linux-gnu Linux-2.x on Motorola 680x0 - alpha*-*-linux-gnu Linux-2.x on DEC Alpha - powerpc-*-linux-gnu Linux and MkLinux on PowerPC systems - powerpc64-*-linux-gnu Linux-2.4.19+ on 64-bit PowerPC systems - sparc-*-linux-gnu Linux-2.x on SPARC - sparc64-*-linux-gnu Linux-2.x on UltraSPARC 64-bit - arm-*-none ARM standalone systems - arm-*-linux Linux-2.x on ARM - arm-*-linuxaout Linux-2.x on ARM using a.out binaries - mips*-*-linux-gnu Linux-2.x on MIPS - ia64-*-linux-gnu Linux-2.x on ia64 - s390-*-linux-gnu Linux-2.x on IBM S/390 - s390x-*-linux-gnu Linux-2.4+ on IBM S/390 64-bit - sh-*-linux-gnu Linux-2.x on Super Hitachi - x86-64-*-linux-gnu Linux-2.4+ on x86-64 - -Past releases of this library ran on a variety of configurations that are -no longer supported. Porting the library is not hard. If you are -interested in doing a port, please contact the glibc maintainers; -see http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/ for more information. - -There are some add-ons which can be used together with GNU libc. They -are designed in a way to ease the installation by integrating them in -the libc source tree. Simply get the add-ons you need and use the ---enable-add-ons option of the `configure' script to tell where the -add-ons are found. Please read the FAQ file for more details. - -See the file INSTALL to find out how to configure, build, install, and port -the GNU C library. You might also consider reading the WWW pages for the -GNU libc at http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/libc.html. - -The GNU C Library is completely documented by the Texinfo manual found -in the `manual/' subdirectory. The manual is still being updated and -contains some known errors and omissions; we regret that we do not -have the resources to work on the manual as much as we would like. -Please send comments on the manual to <bug-glibc-manual@gnu.org>, and -not to the library bug-reporting address. + +The GNU C Library is the standard system C library for all GNU systems, +and is an important part of what makes up a GNU system. It provides the +system API for all programs written in C and C-compatible languages such +as C++ and Objective C; the runtime facilities of other programming +languages use the C library to access the underlying operating system. + +In GNU/Linux systems, the C library works with the Linux kernel to +implement the operating system behavior seen by user applications. +In GNU/Hurd systems, it works with a microkernel and Hurd servers. + +Version 2.4 is the first release after a long period of development, and +introduces changes to the API and a new ABI for all configurations. It +has been tested and deployed in new production systems, but should still +be considered somewhat experimental. The stable 2.3 release series +continues to be maintained, and implements a widely-deployed ABI. +Version 2.3.6 is available, and we will release 2.3.7 with more bug fixes. + +The GNU C Library implements much of the POSIX.1 functionality in the +GNU/Hurd system, using configurations i[34567]86-*-gnu. + +When working with Linux kernels, the GNU C Library version 2.4 is +intended primarily for use with Linux kernel version 2.6.0 and later. +We only support using the NPTL implementation of pthreads, which is now +the default configuration. Most of the C library will continue to work +on older Linux kernels and many programs will not require a 2.6 kernel +to run correctly. However, pthreads and related functionality will not +work at all on old kernels and we do not recommend using glibc 2.4 with +any Linux kernel prior to 2.6. + +All Linux kernel versions prior to 2.6.16 are known to have some bugs that +may cause some of the tests related to pthreads in "make check" to fail. +If you see such problems, please try the test suite on the most recent +Linux kernel version that you can use, before pursuing those bugs further. + +The old LinuxThreads add-on implementation of pthreads for older Linux +kernels is no longer supported, and we are not distributing it with this +release. Someone has volunteered to revive its maintenance unofficially +for at least a short time for the benefit of those using Linux kernels +older than 2.6, but a working version is not presently available. When +it is in working condition, we will make it available alongside future +glibc releases. LinuxThreads will not be supported. + +The GNU C Library supports these configurations for using Linux kernels: + + i[34567]86-*-linux-gnu + x86_64-*-linux-gnu + powerpc-*-linux-gnu + powerpc64-*-linux-gnu + s390-*-linux-gnu + s390x-*-linux-gnu + ia64-*-linux-gnu + sparc*-*-linux-gnu + sparc64*-*-linux-gnu + + alpha*-*-linux-gnu Requires Linux 2.6.9 for NPTL + sh[34]-*-linux-gnu Requires Linux 2.6.11 + +The code for other CPU configurations supported by volunteers outside of +the core glibc maintenance effort is contained in the separate `ports' +add-on. You can find glibc-ports-VERSION distributed separately in the +same place where you got the main glibc distribution files. +Currently these configurations are known to work using the `ports' add-on: + + arm-*-linux-gnu Requires Linux 2.6.15 for NPTL, no SMP support + arm-*-linux-gnueabi Requires Linux 2.6.16-rc1 for NPTL, no SMP + mips-*-linux-gnu Requires Linux 2.6.12 for NPTL + mips64-*-linux-gnu Requires Linux 2.6.12 for NPTL + +The ports distribution also contains code for other configurations that +do not work or have not been maintained recently, but will be of use to +anyone trying to make a new configuration work. If you are interested +in doing a port, please contact the glibc maintainers; see +http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/ for more information. + +See the file INSTALL to find out how to configure, build, and install +the GNU C Library. You might also consider reading the WWW pages for +the C library at http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/. + +The GNU C Library is (almost) completely documented by the Texinfo manual +found in the `manual/' subdirectory. The manual is still being updated +and contains some known errors and omissions; we regret that we do not +have the resources to work on the manual as much as we would like. For +corrections to the manual, please file a bug in the `manual' component, +following the bug-reporting instructions below. Please be sure to check +the manual in the current development sources to see if your problem has +already been corrected. The file NOTES contains a description of the feature-test macros used in the GNU C library, explaining how you can tell the library what |