EGLIBC

Embedded GLIBC (EGLIBC)

Every UNIX operating system needs a standard C library that facilitates the usual system and library calls and provides core services, since these are not integrated to the C language. Libraries consist of header files and archives. The header files enable you to declare facilities for your application. Based on the header file references, the compiler resolves the references to the actual definitions provided in the archive files.

MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan API includes the Embedded GNU C library (EGLIBC). EGLIBC functions are categorised into option groups that you can include in or exclude from the configuration. Thus, you can customise the library to only provide those features that are used by by your application. Customised versions of the standard C library require less space and are thus more suitable for embedded devices. However, EGLIBC also ensures the functionality of the library by tracking the dependencies between the component groups.

EGLIBC provides:

• Support for the ISO C and POSIX (Portable Operating System Interface) standards
• Processor-specific functionalities such as system-specific APIs
• Reduced size on disk and in memory compared to GLIBC
• Cross-building features for targets with limited resources
• Cross testing features
  • You can compile the test programs on the build system and run them on a simulator or remote system.
• Full source and binary compatibility with GLIBC
  • In the default configuration, EGLIBC is source- and binary-compatible with GLIBC.
• Increased configurability

EGLIBC API reference

To access the manual (man pages) on using the EGLIBC facilities, go to the navigation tree on the left. The referenced header files provide access to system calls and library calls. Library calls are part of the language or application, wheras system calls are part of the operating system.

Note: This API reference contains the main man pages in HTML format. In addition to the POSIX-compatible features, the documentation also includes Linux-specific extensions.