by James W. Truher, MIPS ABI Technical Services Manager
Silicon Graphics® recently released the IRIXTM 6.2 operating system. This article from MIPS® ABI Engineering answers some of the frequently asked questions about the latest release of the MIPS ABI.
Q: Is IRIXá6.2 a MIPS ABI-conforming operating system?
A: Currently, IRIXá6.2 is not a MIPS ABI-conforming OS. However, tests are underway to certify IRIXá6.2 as a MIPS ABIá1.2 Conformance Guide operating system. Silicon Graphics is working hard to try to get this certification completed by Julyá1996. When certification of IRIX 6.2 is complete, a list of patches will be available at this site:
Q: What is a MIPS ABI reference platform?
A: A MIPS ABI reference platform is a model for software development. This model assures developers that they need only port to a single specified operating system on a single specified hardware system. All MIPS ABI-compatible companies guarantee that their systems will support binaries generated on the MIPS ABI reference platform. Information on the current MIPS ABI reference platform can be found in the Conformance Guide at the following URL:
The MIPS ABI-compatible companies work together to ensure that all operating systems are indeed compatible. This is done both through pro-active, coordinated engineering efforts and rigorous testing. The MIPS ABI testing process involves more than 10,000 test cases and more than 1,000,000 lines of code that test for MIPS ABI-conformance and functionality, plus stress and load. Independently supplied applications including the Oracle® RDBMS and the SAS® System from SAS Institute are used as real-market tests of binary compatibility.
Q: What is a MIPS ABI generation platform?
A: A generation platform is the development environment that must be used when generating MIPS ABI binaries. Currently, there is a single MIPS ABI generation platform (IRIXá5.3), but both Siemens Nixdorf and NEC are working to provide a MIPS ABI generation platform to the market. Since the MIPS ABI Group serves a world-wide market place, we believe that by having MIPS ABI generation platforms available locally in Europe and the Pacific Rim will help our ISVs.
Q: When IRIXá6.2 is certified as a conforming operating system, will that be considered the same thing as a MIPS ABI reference platform?
A: No. A Conforming Operating System is one that correctly executes MIPS ABI binaries. The MIPS ABI reference platform applies a stricter standard, which is approved by all the members of the MIPS ABI group. Although this process takes longer, Silicon Graphics intends to certify IRIXá6.2 as a MIPS ABI reference platform.
Q: Can I use IRIXá6.2 as a generation platform for MIPS ABI Binaries?
A: Part of the certification of a reference platform includes certification as a MIPS ABI generation platform. After IRIXá6.2 has been certified as a MIPS ABI reference platform, it will automatically be a MIPS ABI generation platform as well.
Q: Can I use IRIXá6.2 to build applications that conform to the MIPS ABIá1.2 Conformance Guide?
A: After IRIXá6.2 has been certified as a MIPS ABI generation platform, you will need to use this OS in order to build MIPS ABI Conformance Guideá1.2 applications, at least until other operating systems have also been certified as MIPS ABI generation platforms.
Q: Can I use IRIXá5.3 to build applications that conform to the MIPS ABIá1.2 Conformance Guide?
A: No. IRIXá5.3 will not be made into a MIPS ABIá1.2 conformant system. This is due to the amount of additional functionality that would need to be put into IRIXá5.3. Because of the large amount of additional functionality that was added from MIPS ABI Conformance Guideá1.1, Silicon Graphics decided to place the engineering emphasis on its most current operating system. If you want to write MIPS ABIá1.2 applications, you must use IRIXá6.2 after it has been certified as a MIPS ABI generation platform.
Q: Will current MIPS ABI applications need to be recompiled in order to run on IRIXá6.2?
A: No. Because MIPS ABI platforms are fully backward compatible with previous versions of the MIPS ABI Conformance Guide, you do not need to recompile current applications.
Q: Can I use IRIXá6.2 to build applications that conform to earlier versions of the MIPS ABI Conformance Guide?
A: This is possible, but very difficult. The only way this may be accomplished is to use routines supported in earlier versions of the MIPS ABI ConformanceáGuide. IRIXá6.2 does not have an option that uses only those routines that will generate a binary that conforms to earlier versions of the MIPS ABI Conformance Guide. If you need to create binaries that are MIPS ABI Conformance Guideá1.1 conformant (this is the previous version of the Conformance Guide), you should use IRIXá5.3.
Q: Why would I want to create binaries that are compliant with earlier versions of the MIPS ABI Conformance Guide?
A: Because of the different release cycles of the platform vendors, you may need to support a specific platform before that platform will release a product that supports versioná1.1 of the MIPS ABI Conformance Guide (this is the previous version of the Conformance Guide). It should take about six months before the platform vendors become compliant with theá1.2.1 version of the MIPS ABI Conformance Guide. To see the latest support list for the different platforms, check this Web site:
Q: Does IRIXá6.2 need any extra packages in order to conform with the MIPS ABI run-time specifications?
A: You need to add patches to the IRIXá6.2 distribution in order for it to comply with the ABI specifications. Those patches are not yet designated, but when they are, you can retrieve them from this Web site:
Q: Does IRIXá6.2 need any extra packages in order to be a MIPS ABI generation platform?
A: You need to install additional patches to the IRIXá6.2 distribution in order to make it a MIPS ABI generation platform. Those patches are not yet designated, but when they are, you can retrieve them from the MIPS ABI Web site.
Q: What information is available to explain how MIPS ABI conformance is achieved?
A: This information will be made available through the MIPS ABI Web site in the near future. Check this site periodically for updates.
We welcome feedback and comments at
devprogram@sgi.com.