Before you start

Learn what to expect from this tutorial and how to get the most out of it.

About this tutorial

The Linux Standard Base (LSB) is a specification as well as a collection of tools and test suites that help Linux software developers increase compatibility among Linux software distributions. Applications and distributions can be certified as being compliant with the specification, providing assurances to users that certified software is compatible. This tutorial describes the LSB and explains how to vet your application code to conform with it.

Objectives

In this tutorial, you learn how to install and use the LSB Build Environment, Sample Implementation, and accompanying tools to verify that your application code is LSB conformant. You use VMware's VMware Workstation to create a virtual operating system instance to enable and simplify compliance testing.

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Prerequisites

To benefit from this tutorial, you should have experience with the C or C++ programming language as well as the typical Linux software development environment and its cadre of tools, including the compiler, linker, system libraries, configuration and build utilities, and packaging tools.

You should also have experience installing software from the command line and have at least a modicum of experience with administering and maintaining a Linux system, such as configuring a file system, starting and stopping network services, and adding system services.

If you're running Debian Linux, you should also have some experience with the APT package manager. To run VMware Workstation on Debian Linux, you must install the kernel source associated with your kernel version. (You must typically have superuser access to install VMware Workstation.)

Before you start the tutorial, you must install several software packages on your Linux system. Here's everything you need:

• The VMware Workstation product suitable for your Linux distribution

  Note: Alternatively, you can easily install VMware Workstation on any computer running Microsoft® Windows® XP and run a virtualized Linux instance on the Windows XP platform. Download a trial version of VMware Workstation at no cost and use it to create one or more virtual machines (VMs). After you've created a VM, you can save it and switch to the free VMware Player to replay it.

• The LSB Sample Implementation
• The LSB Build Environment
• The LSB application test suites

You may also find it useful to download and read the LSB V3.0.0 specification appropriate for your target hardware platform. Hardware-specific LSB specifications are available for seven popular architectures: the IA32, IA64, PPC32, PPC64, S390, S390X, and AMD64 processors.

If you want to certify your application, download and read the Application Product Standard associated with your target hardware platform.

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System requirements

To run the examples in this tutorial, you must have a computer running either the Linux or Windows XP operating system. VMware Workstation running on either of those platforms provides a Linux environment for you to do the rest of your work.

If your application depends on software libraries other than those ratified as part of the LSB specification for your processor, you must install those libraries on the virtual system, as well. To avoid confusion, it's ideal to install application-specific libraries separately from the standard libraries.

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Table of contents

• Before you start
• The need for a standard
• The LSB Build Environment and Sample Implementation
• The benefits of porting using VMs
• Porting your code to the LSB
• Installing and running the LSB Build Environment utilities
• Installing the LSB Build Environment and Sample Implementation
• Building and executing code in the Build Environment and the Sample Implementation
• Summary
• Downloads
• Resources
• About the author

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