Re: Dynamically Linked Functions

[Bengt Martensson]

   It should eventually be possible to implement dynamic linking for
   Octave using dlopen(), dlsym(), dlclose(), etc.  This doesn't work now
   for a couple of reasons.  First, as of version 2.6.3, g++ doesn't
   support the creation of shared libraries (there are some patches on
   ftp.cygnus.com, but I haven't tried them).  I think this is supposed to
   be fixed in 2.7.x.  Second, Octave would need a little more code to
   actually link to the .so files at run time.

Here must be some misunderstanding. At least on Sun, gcc (or, if you
so prefer, g++) supports position independent code since, if I recall
it correctly, 2.0.0. Position independent code is supported only on
some machines, but at least Sun (SunOS4 as well as Solaris2) and SGI
(Irix 5.x) belong to these. However, the Gnu assembler, gas, doesn't
work with position independent code, so you have to use the system's
native assembler (which is how gcc is installed by default).

Gnans, a simulation program that relates to Simulab approximately as
Octave relates to MATLAB, uses this technique. (Gnans is available with
ftp from ftp.mathematik.uni-Bremen.de in directory pub/gnans.)

-- 
Bengt Martensson                                +49 421 218-2952 (office)
Institute for Dynamical Systems                 +49 421 17 17 13 (home)
University of Bremen                            +49 421 218-4235 (fax)
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