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The development environment in Digital UNIX Version 4.0 is fully ANSI C/ISO C compliant; offers the programming features of both BSD and System V UNIX and is compliant with most current standards, including POSIX, XPG4, and XPG4-UNIX; features debuggers that support C, Assembler, FORTRAN (F77 and F90), C++, Ada, and connecting to /proc; supports shared libraries, threads, versioning; and has a fully optimized C compiler that produces extremely efficient code to exploit fully the 64-bit address space of the Alpha architecture.
In addition, Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports internationalization, standard UNIX development tools such as awk, lint, make, and prof, and provides various run-time libraries such as C++ and FORTRAN.
The following sections highlight the major functionality in the development environment. For more detailed information on the development environment, see the Programmer's Guide, the guide Programming Support Tools, Assembly Language Programmer's Guide, and Writing Software for the International Market.
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The Digital UNIX Version 4.0 C compiler was designed to support 64-bit data types and is NIST-validated for compliance with the ANSI Standard for C. The C front end supports both 64-bit addressing and the interfaces to the System V shared libraries.
The GEM-based DEC C compiler, accessed optionally in previous releases through the -migrate switch, is now the default compiler; access to the older MIPS-based compiler is still available through the -oldc switch on the cc and c89 command lines.
DEC C uses Digital's backend compiler technology (GEM), which has been specifically developed and optimized for use with Alpha systems. Both compilers have full binary compatibility with each other.
In addition, the compiler:
For more information on the various standards supported by Digital UNIX, see the standards(5) manpage.
For more information on the Digital UNIX C compiler, see the cc(1) reference page.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports the following two source code debuggers:
The dbx debugger supports debugging programs written in C, FORTRAN, Assembler, Cobol, and Pascal. It supports debugging active kernels, either locally or remotely; analyzing kernel crash dumps; debugging program core dumps; shared libraries; and, through /proc, attachment to running processes and programs using multiple threads. It can also patch the on-disk copy of either user programs or the kernel. The dbx debugger also supports multiprocess debugging and allows debugging through fork and exec calls.
The ladebug debugger is a source level, object-oriented symbolic debugger that has both a graphical user interface (GUI) and a command-line interface similar to the dbx command-line interface, Note that the GUI is also integrated with FUSE and can be accessed from the Common Desktop Environment (CDE).
The ladebug debugger supports the following functionality:
Note that ladebug is a full C++ debugger which demangles C++ names, understands C++ expressions, provides support for inline functions, templates, and C++ exceptions.
Also note that the support for F77/F90 includes case insensitivity, common blocks, alternate entry points, language-dependent type printing, and assume shape arrays.
Note that the ladebug remote debugging protocol is also available along with the C source code for a sample remote debugging server that adheres to the protocol.
Note that internationalization support is available in a separate kit. The internationalized ladebug debugger accepts multibyte characters as input, and outputs local language characters according to the current global locale set in the debugger. It also supports the wchar_t datatype in C/C++.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports the following profiling toolkit:
Provides a flexible code instrumentation interface that is capable of building a wide variety of user-defined program analysis tools and comprises an instrumentation control tool and a library whose procedural interface enables programmers to easily develop special-purpose instrumentation/analysis tools.
ATOM provides the following built-in instrumentation/analysis tools:
A call-graph profiling tool with output that can be post-processed by gprof.
Finds memory leaks and checks for incorrect memory accesses.
A superset of the existing pixie basic block profiler which can profile a program's executables and its shared libraries. The output of pixie can be analyzed by prof.
Digital Unix V4.0 supports the following profiling tools:
For programs compiled with the -pg option, displays how many calls named procedures made to each other and how much CPU time each procedure consumed, using PC-sampling statistics. Also analyzes the output of programs instrumented with hiprof.
For programs compiled with the -p option, displays how much CPU time was consumed by each procedure in a program and its shared libraries, using PC-sampling statistics. Also analyzes the output of programs instrumented with pixie or monitored with uprofile/kprofile.
Sample a variety of events in the CPU using the Alpha chip's built-in performance counters during the execution of an application program or the kernel itself. Can report on CPU cycles, memory/cache effects, and so forth, which prof can then analyze.
For more information on profiling tools, see the Programmer's Guide and the appropriate reference pages.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 provides a full complement of dynamic shared libraries, compatible with System V semantics for shared library loading and symbol resolution as well as the System V API for dynamic loading (dlopen, dlclose, dlsym, and dlerror). Because they allow programs to include only information about how to load and access routines rather than the routines themselves, shared libraries increase system performance, reduce disk and memory requirements, and simplify system management.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports the shared libraries described in the following two tables.
| Library /usr/shlib | Description |
| libDXm.so | Digital Motif Extensions library |
| libDXterm.so | DECterm widget library, used by dxterm |
| libDtHelp.so | CDE online help routines |
| libDtMail.so | Shared library support for the dtmail CDE mail utility |
| libDtSvc.so | CDE service routines for desktop management |
| libDtTerm.so | Shared library support for the CDE ddterm terminal emulator utility |
| libDtWidget.so | shared library of CDE widgets to supplement Motif widget |
| libICE.so | Inter-Client Exchange library, which enables the building of protocols |
| libMrm.so | Motif Resource Manager library |
| libSM.so | The X Session Management Protocol (XSMP) provides a uniform mechanism for users to save and restore their sessions using the services of a network- based session manager. It is built on ICE and is the C interface to the protocol. |
| libUil.so | The callable Motif UIL (User Interface Language) compiler used by applications that want to compile UIL at run time. |
| libX11.so | Xlib library |
| libXETrap.so | X Extension Library |
| libXaw.so | X Athena Widgets run-time library |
| libXext.so | X Client-side Extension library |
| libXi.so | X Input Extension client-side library |
| libXIE.so | X Imaging Extension client-side run-time library (V5) |
| libXie.so | X Imaging Extension client-side run-time library (V3) |
| libXm.so | Motif Widgets library |
| libXmu.so | X Miscellaneous utilities run-time library |
| libXt.so | X Intrinsics library |
| libXtst.so | A library of routines for X clients to make use of the XTEST Extension. |
| libXv.so | X video Extension client-side run-time library |
| libaio.so | POSIX realtime asynchronous I/O functions |
| libaio_raw.so | POSIX realtime asynchronous I/O functions (raw disk and tape only) |
| libaud.so | C2 security auditing library |
| libbkr.so | Motif Help System library |
| libc.so | C library |
| libc_r.so | Threadsafe libc (link to libc.so) |
| libcda.so | CDA run-time library |
| libcdrom.so | Rock Ridge Extensions to CDFS library |
| libchf.so | CDA/Imaging signal handling routines |
| libcmalib.so | CMA threads library |
| libcsa.so | Shared library portion of the CDE dtcm calendar manager utility |
| libcurses.so | Curses screen control library |
| libcxx.so | NEW |
| libdb.so | NEW |
| libdnet_stub.so | DECnet library |
| libdps.so | Adobe Display PostScript client-side run-time libraries |
| libdpstk.so | Adobe Display PostScript toolkit |
| libdvr.so | CDA run-time viewer library |
| libdvs.so | CDA run-time layout library |
| libesnmp.so | NEW |
| libexc.so | Library that provides support for exception handling. |
| libiconv.so | Internationalization codeset conversion routines |
| libids.so | Image display services library |
| libids_nox.so | Image display services not dependent on X |
| libimg.so | Image processing routines |
| libips.so | Image processing routines |
| libm.so | Digital Portable Mathmatics Library (DPML) |
| libmach.so | Mach library |
| libmxr.so | Library used by mxr, the ULTRIX binary interpreter for OSF/1 |
| libndb.so | NEW |
| libots.so | Compiler run-time support |
| libpacl.so | NEW |
| libproplist.so | VFS Extended File Attributes library |
| libpset.so | NEW |
| libpsres.so | Adobe Display PostScript resource utilities |
| libpthread.so | Application Programming Interface for Digital UNIX's threads |
| libpthreads.so | DECthreads library |
| libsecurity.so | C2 security library |
| libsm_x.so | Systems Management Graphical support library; no user-level interfaces available. |
| libtcl.so | Base Tool Command Language (TCL) support library |
| libtclx.so | Extended TCL support library |
| libtk.so | Graphical TCL (TK) Extensions library |
| libtkx.so | Graphical Extended TCL support library |
| libtli.so | XTI library |
| libtt.so | SunSoft Tooltalk routines |
| libvxvm.so | LSM utility library |
| libmsfs.so | AdvFS system call interface library |
| libfilsys.so | File system utility library |
| libxnet.so | NEW |
| libxti.so | XTI library |
| Library /usr/shlib/X11 | Description |
| libXau.so | X Authorization library |
| libXdmDecGreet.so | Motif loadable greeter library |
| libXdmGreet.so | Athena-style loadable greeter library |
| libXdmcp.so | X Display Manager control program library |
| lib_adobe_dps.so | Adobe Display PostScript Extension library |
| lib_dec_cirrus.so | Device support for the Cirrus VGA graphics card |
| lib_dec_ffb.so | Supports the sfb+ graphics accelerator for 2D and 3D drawing operations |
| lib_dec_sfb.so | Device support for the smart frame buffer (HX) |
| lib_dec_smt.so | Shared memory transport library |
| lib_dec_tx.so | Device support for the TX graphic adapter |
| lib_dec_ws.so | Low-layer operating system interface for the X server |
| lib_dec_xi_pcm.so | Dynamically-loadable X Input Extension library that supports the dial and box |
| lib_dec_xi_serial_mouse.so | Support library for the serial mouse |
| lib_dec_xv_tx.so | X Video Extension support for the TX graphic option |
| libcfb.so | Color frame buffer library |
| libcfb16.so | 16-bit visual support for the color frame buffer |
| libcfb32.so | 32-bit visual support for the color frame buffer |
| libdbe.so | DOUBLE-BUFFER Extension library |
| libdix.so | Device-independent portion of the X Server |
| libdixie.so | With libmixie.so, supports the X Image Extensions (XIE) Extension library |
| libextMITMisc.so | MIT-SUNDRY-NONSTANDARD Extension library |
| libextMultibuf.so | Multi-Buffering Extension library |
| libextScrnSvr.so | MIT-SCREEN-SAVER Extension library |
| libextSync.so | SYNC Extension library |
| libextXCMisc.so | XC-MISC Extension library |
| libextbigreq.so | BIG-REQUESTS Extension library |
| libextkme.so | Keyboard-Management-Extension |
| libextshape.so | SHAPE Extension library |
| libextshm.so | MIT-SHM Extension library |
| libextxtest.so | XTEST Extension library |
| libextxtrap.so | DEC-XTRAP Extension library |
| libfont.so | Font access library |
| libfr_Speedo.so | Loadable font renderer library |
| libfr_Type1.so | Loadable font renderer library |
| libfr_fs.so | Loadable X Server font renderer for using a font server |
| libmfb.so | Monochrome frame buffer support |
| libmi.so | Machine-independent portion of the X Server |
| libmixie.so | With libdixie.so, supports the X Image Extensions (XIE) |
| libos.so | Operating-system dependent portion of the X Server |
| libxinput.so | X Input Extension server-side library |
| libxkb.so | XKEYBOARD Extension library |
Note
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 also provides static versions of these libraries.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports quickstart which allows shared libraries with unique addresses to start faster than if their addresses were in conflict. Essentially, each shared library must have a unique address placed in the /usr/shlib/so_locations file which allows applications that link against these shared libraries to start execution faster since the shared objects do not have to be relocated at run time. The ld utility can read and write an so_locations file when it creates a shared library.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 uses a System V Release 4.0 compatible loader to load shared libraries dynamically. This loader provides the following enhanced features:
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports full and partial duplication of shared libraries. The loader looks for backward compatible versions of shared libraries using a path constructed by appending the version string as a subdirectory of the normal search path. As a result, any changes to kernel interfaces or to global data definitions that would ordinarily break binary compatibility will not affect your applications, since you can maintain multiple versions of any shared library and link your application against the appropriate version of that shared library.
In
Motif Version 1.2,
for example,
the OSF
changed several of the interfaces,
thereby breaking binary compatibility with
applications built against
Motif 1.1.3
libraries.
To preserve binary
compatibility,
Digital UNIX Version 4.0
supports both
Motif 1.1.3 and Motif 1.2.3
shared libraries
in
Digital UNIX Version 4.0
with our
versioning functionality,
so that
applications that need to can access the Motif 1.1.3 shared libraries.
For more information on versioning,
see the
Programmer's Guide.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports the following run-time libraries
The DEC Ada run-time library libada enables users to run previously compiled DEC Ada programs without having to install DEC Ada on their system. These libraries support such DEC Ada run-time functionality as tasking, exceptions, timer services, and miscellaneous computations.
The DEC C++ run-time libraries (libcxx, libcomplex, and libtask) enable users to run previously compiled DEC C++ programs without having to install DEC C++ on their system. These libraries support such DEC C++ run-time functionality as I/O, complex arithmetic, and multitasking.
The DEC COBOL run-time libraries (libcob, libots2, and libisamstub) enable users to run previously compiled DEC COBOL programs without having to install DEC COBOL on their system. These libraries support such COBOL run-time functionality as I/O, decimal arithmetic, COBOL ACCEPT/DISPLAY statements, STRING/UNSTRING operations, and CALL and CANCEL.
The DEC FORTRAN run-time libraries (libfor, libfutil, and libUfor) enable users to run previously compiled DEC FORTRAN programs without having to install DEC FORTRAN on their system. These libraries support such FORTRAN run-time functionality as I/O, intrinsic functions, data formatting, data conversion, miscellaneous math functions, and FORTRAN bindings to common operating system services.
The DEC Pascal run-time library libpas enables users to run previously compiled DEC Pascal programs without having to install DEC Pascal on their system. These libraries support such Pascal run-time functionality as I/O, miscellaneous math functions, time and date services, and miscellaneous file services.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports the full array of development tools, including ar, as, btou, cb, cc, cflow, cpp, ctags, cxref, dbx, dis error, file, indent, ld, lex, lint, loader, m4, make, mig, mkstr, nm, odump, pixie, ppu, prof, ranlib, size, stdump, strings, strip, tsort, uopt, uld, utob, xstr, and yacc, as well as the source code control systems rcs and sccs.
Note that many of the development commands are specified by the System V, POSIX, XPG4 and XPG4-UNIX standards to which Digital UNIX is fully complaint. Also note that Digital UNIX supports both the OSF make command and the ULTRIX version of make, since the ULTRIX make command is POSIX 1003.2 compliant and more robust.
DECthreads is a library of routines built on the basic Mach threads capabilities in the OSF code that support the development of multithreaded applications on Digital UNIX. DECthreads is an implementation the POSIX 1003.1c-1995 standard API and also provides a proprietary API to aid in porting applications from other Digital platforms such as OpenVMS. Note that DECthreads also provides an implementation of draft 4 of the POSIX 1003.1c (formerly known as 1003.4a) specification which will be retired in the next release. This implementation is being provided only to allow applications extra time to convert their draft standard implementation to the finalized POSIX standard interface.
DECthreads is compatible with DCE requirements for threads and is the threads library used by Digital's DCE product. In addition, DECthreads is integrated with the Digital UNIX kernel, providing SMP capabilities for multithreaded applications and realtime scheduling policies and priorities for multithreaded realtime applications.
Digital UNIX supports Thread Independent Services (TIS) routines, which are provided to enable application writers to write thread-safe code for non-threaded libraries and applications. In the presence of threads, these routines provide the indicated thread-safe functionality. In the absence of threads, these routines impose the minimum possible overhead on their caller. Note that the TIS routines are used by the C runtime library to provide support for both single and multithreaded applications.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports the Berkeley mmap function and therefore allows an application to access data files with memory operations rather than file I/O operations.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports a realtime user and programming environment, developed by Digital and shipped as an optional realtime subset. The Digital UNIX Version 4.0 realtime programming environment conforms to the POSIX 1003.1b-1993 standard for realtime which allows you to develop and run portable realtime applications in a POSIX environment. The realtime interfaces are collected in the static and shared libraries /usr/ccs/lib/librt.a and /usr/shlib/librt.so, respectively.
If you enable kernel preemption, a higher-priority process can preempt a lower-priority process regardless of whether it is running in kernel mode or user mode. With this fully preemptive kernel, the Process Preemption Latency (the amount of time it takes to preempt a lower-priority process) is minimized.
In addition to a preemptive kernel, the Digital UNIX Version 4.0 realtime programming environment supports the following POSIX 1003.1b features:
For more information on the realtime programming environment, see the Guide to Realtime Programming. For information on configuring the realtime kernel, see the System Administration guide.