Editing Glibc (section)

===Fork and variant<span class="anchor" id="Linux libc"></span> ===
In 1994, the developers of the [[Linux kernel]] [[fork (software development)|forked]] glibc. Their fork, "Linux libc", was maintained separately until around 1998. Because the copyright attribution was insufficient, changes could not be merged back to the GNU Libc.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of glibc and Linux libc|url=http://freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/history_of_glibc_and_linux_libc/|access-date=2021-05-10|website=[[Free Software Magazine]]|archive-date=26 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926154743/http://freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/history_of_glibc_and_linux_libc/|url-status=live}}</ref> When the FSF released glibc 2.0 in January 1997, the kernel developers discontinued Linux libc due to glibc 2.0's superior compliance with POSIX standards.<ref>{{cite web | date=24 October 2000 | title=Forking: it could even happen to you | url=https://www.linux.com/news/forking-it-could-even-happen-you/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090915191339/https://www.linux.com/archive/feature/3874 | archive-date=15 September 2009 | quote=the split between GNU LIBC and the Linux LIBC -- it went on for years while Linux stabilized, and then the forks re-merged into one project}}</ref> glibc 2.0 also had better [[internationalisation]] and more in-depth translation, [[IPv6]] capability, 64-bit data access, facilities for multithreaded applications, future version compatibility, and the code was more portable.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://people.redhat.com/~sopwith/old/glibc-vs-libc5.html | title = A Technical Comparison of glibc 2.x With Legacy System Libraries| last = Lee | first = Elliot | date=Jul 9, 1998 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040411191201/https://people.redhat.com/~sopwith/old/glibc-vs-libc5.html |archive-date = 11 April 2004}}</ref> The last-used version of Linux libc used the internal name ([[soname]]) {{mono|libc.so.5}}. Following on from this, glibc 2.x on Linux uses the soname {{mono|libc.so.6}}<ref>{{cite web | url = http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Licensing_and_Law/forking.html | title = Fear of Forking essay |at=6. glibc --> Linux libc --> glibc |first1=Rick |last1=Moen |date=May 20, 2021 |orig-date=14 Nov 1999 |website=linuxmafia.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127145135/http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Licensing_and_Law/forking.html |archive-date= Nov 27, 2023 }}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=May 2021}}

In 2009, [[Debian]] and a number of [[List of Linux distributions#Debian-based|derivatives]] switched from glibc to the variant{{Refn|The eglibc developers emphasized themselves that eglibc is not a fork of glibc, but a variant, accepting patches from the upstream glibc project.<ref>{{Cite web|title=EGLIBC: FAQ|url=http://www.eglibc.org/faq|access-date=2021-09-16|website=eglibc.org|archive-date=17 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317051907/http://www.eglibc.org/faq|url-status=dead}}</ref>}} eglibc.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Vaduva|first=Alexandru|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yIJcDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA24 |publisher=Packt Publishing |title=Linux : embedded development: leverage the power of Linux to develop captivating and powerful embedded Linux projects : a course in three modules|date=2016|others=Alex Gonzalez, Chris Simmonds|isbn=978-1-78712-445-5|location=Birmingham, UK|pages=24|oclc=960471438}}</ref> Eglibc was supported by a [[consortium]] consisting of [[Freescale Semiconductor|Freescale]], [[MIPS Technologies|MIPS]], [[MontaVista]] and [[Wind River Systems|Wind River]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stiebert|first=Julius|date=6 May 2009|title=Debian wechselt zur Eglibc|url=https://www.golem.de/0905/66930.html|access-date=2021-09-16|website=[[golem.de]]|archive-date=16 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916141335/https://www.golem.de/0905/66930.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It contained changes that made it more suitable for [[Embedded system|embedded usage]] and had added support for architectures that were not supported by glibc, such as the [[PowerPC e500]]. The code of eglibc was merged back into glibc at version 2.20.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=Chris|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/995052708|title=Mastering embedded Linux programming: unleash the full potential of embedded Linux|date=2017|isbn=978-1-78728-885-0|edition=2nd|location=Birmingham, UK|pages=26|oclc=995052708}}</ref> Since 2014, eglibc is discontinued. The [[Yocto Project]] and Debian also moved back to glibc since the release of [[Debian Jessie]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Vaduva|first=Alexandru|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/914797028|title=Learning embedded Linux using the Yocto project: develop powerful embedded Linux systems with the Yocto project components|date=2015|isbn=978-1-78439-519-3|location=Birmingham, UK|pages=29|oclc=914797028}}</ref>