arch - display the architecture of the current host

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SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

arch displays the application architecture of the current host system.

Sun systems can be broadly classified by their architectures, which define what executables will run on which machines. A distinction can be made between kernel architecture and application architecture (or, commonly, just ``architecture''). Machines that run different kernels due to underlying hardware differences may be able to run the same application programs. For example, the MC68020-based Sun-3/160 system and the MC68030-based Sun-3/80 system run different SunOS kernels, but can execute the same applications. These machines could be described as having ``the same application architecture'' but ``different kernel architectures.''

Executing arch will display the application architecture of the machine, such as sun3, sun4, etc. All machines of the same application architecture will execute the same application programs, or user binaries.

Current Architectures

 +--------------------------------------------------------------+
 |Application       Kernel         Current Sun System Models    |
 |Architecture   Architecture                                   |
 +-------------+--------------+---------------------------------+
 |sun3         | sun3         | 3/50, 3/60, 3/75, 3/110, 3/140, |
 |             |              | 3/160, 3/180, 3/260, 3/280      |
 +-------------+--------------+---------------------------------+
 |sun3         | sun3x        | 3/80, 3/460, 3/470, 3/480       |
 +-------------+--------------+---------------------------------+
 |sun4         | sun4         | 4/110, 4/260, 4/280,            |
 |             |              | SPARCsystem 300 series,         |
 |             |              | SPARCsystem 400 series          |
 +-------------+--------------+---------------------------------+
 |sun4         | sun4c        | SPARCsystem 1, SPARCsystem 1+,  |
 |             |              | SPARCsystem 2, SPARCsystem IPC, |
 |             |              | SPARCsystem SLC                 |
 +-------------+--------------+---------------------------------+
 |sun4         | sun4m        | SPARCsystem 600MP series        |
 +-------------+--------------+---------------------------------+
 |sun386       | sun386       | 386i/150, 386i/250              |
 +-------------+--------------+---------------------------------+

OPTIONS

-k

Display the kernel architecture, such as sun3, sun3x, sun4c, etc. This defines which specific SunOS kernel will run on the machine, and has implications only for programs that depend on the kernel explicitly (for example, ps.1 vmstat.8 etc.).

archname

Return ``true'' (exit status 0) if application binaries for archname can run on the current host system, otherwise, return ``false'' (exit status 1). This is the preferred method for installation scripts to determine the environment of the host machine; that is, which architecture of a multi-architecture release to install on this machine. archname must be a valid application architecture.

SEE ALSO

[a manual with the abbreviation INSTALL]

Created by unroff & hp-tools. © somebody (See intro for details). All Rights Reserved. Last modified 11/5/97