ELFv2-ABI/specification/ch_preface.xml

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<preface xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook"
  xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"
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  version="5.0"
  xml:id="ch_ABI_preface">
  <title>About this Document</title>

    <para>This specification defines the OpenPOWER ELF V2 application binary interface (ABI). 
    This ABI is derived from and represents the first major update to the Power ABI since the 
    original release of the IBM® RS/6000® ABI. It was developed to make extensive use of new 
    functions available in OpenPOWER-compliant processors. It expects an OpenPOWER-compliant 
    processor to implement at least Power ISA V2.07B with all OpenPOWER Architecture instruction 
    categories as well as OpenPOWER-defined implementation characteristics for some 
    implementation-specific features.
    </para>
    
    <para>Specifically, to use this ABI and ABI-compliant programs, OpenPOWER-compliant 
    processors must implement the following categories:
      <itemizedlist>		      
        <listitem><para>Base</para></listitem>
        
        <listitem><para>64-Bit</para></listitem>
        
        <listitem><para>Server (subject to system-level requirements)</para></listitem>
        
        <listitem><para>Floating-Point</para></listitem>
        
        <listitem><para>Floating-Point.Record</para></listitem>
        
        <listitem><para>Load/Store Quadword x2</para></listitem>
        
        <listitem><para>Store Conditional Page Mobility (subject to system-level requirements)</para></listitem>
        
        <listitem><para>Stream</para></listitem>
        
        <listitem><para>Transactional Memory</para></listitem>
        
        <listitem><para>Vector</para></listitem>
        
        <listitem><para>Vector.Little-Endian</para></listitem>
        
        <listitem><para>Vector-Scalar</para></listitem>
      </itemizedlist>		      
    </para>
    
    <para>For more information about these categories, see “Categories” in Book I of 
    <citetitle>Power ISA</citetitle>, version 2.07B.
    </para>
    
    <para>The OpenPOWER ELF V2 ABI is intended for use in little- and big-endian environments.
    </para>
    
  <section>
    <title>Notices</title>
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    <para>This document is based on the following publications:</para>
    
    <para><citetitle>Power Architecture 32-bit Application Binary Interface Supplement 1.0</citetitle>
    by Ryan S. Arnold, Greg Davis, Brian Deitrich, Michael Eager, Emil Medve, Steven J. Munroe, 
    Joseph S. Myers, Steve Papacharalambous, Anmol P. Paralkar, Katherine Stewart, and Edmar Wienskoski,
    1.0 Edition. Published April 19, 2011. Copyright © 1999, 2003, 2004 IBM Corporation. Copyright © 2002 
    Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. Copyright © 2003, 2004 Free Standards Group. Copyright © 2011 Power.org
    </para>
    
    <para>Portions of <citetitle>Power Architecture 32-bit Application Binary Interface Supplement 1.0</citetitle>
    are derived from the 64-bit PowerPC® ELF Application Binary Interface Supplement 1.8, originally written by 
    Ian Lance Taylor under contract for IBM, with later revisions by: David Edelsohn, Torbjorn Granlund, 
    Mark Mendell, Kristin Thomas, Alan Modra, Steve Munroe, and Chris Lorenze.
    </para>
    
    <para>The Thread Local Storage section of this document is an original contribution of IBM written by 
    Alan Modra and Steven Munroe.
    </para>

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    <para>The following terms are trademarks or registered trademarks licensed by Power.org in the 
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    </para>

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  </section>
  
</preface>