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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!john
From: john@genrad.UUCP (John Nelson)
Newsgroups: net.news
Subject: Re: Posting object code to net.sources
Message-ID: <294@genrad.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Aug-84 10:06:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: genrad.294
Posted: Thu Aug  9 10:06:36 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Aug-84 08:17:15 EDT
References: <1604@sun.uucp> <466@turtlevax.UUCP> <890@bbncca.ARPA>
Organization: GenRad, Bolton, Mass.
Lines: 21

Nevertheless, net.sources is for SOURCES.  If source is posted, it can
be used on any system with an appropriate compiler, with perhaps a little
diddling.

I, for instance, have a TRS80 model I. (no flames please!)  With source
code posted in C,  I can compile an appropriate program for MY system,
or I can adapt a program with a good concept to my configuration.  Even
assembly language can be adapted (but is much harder if the base processor
is different).  Object code is useless for anyone who does not have the
specific machine type.

There are many bulletin board systems around that supply compiled versions
of public domain programs for micros.  Use THEM!  They are a much more
efficient way to distribute object code programs, because users can dial
up systems that only deal in objects for THEIR system type!  Posting object
code to this forum subjects all of us to pass around large files that we
cannot use in any way!

Of course some source files are machine specific also (example: a C program
to manipulate an MS-DOS directory), but sometimes such things are adaptable
to other environments.