Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Fat binary
open-in-new
<p> A fat binary (or multiarchitecture binary) is a computer <a href="/facts/Executable_program/VSst9eLA">executable program</a> or <a href="/facts/Library_(computing)/xRzL3P7q">library</a> which has been expanded (or "fattened") with code native to multiple <a href="/facts/Instruction_set/8p8vwUeE">instruction sets</a> which can consequently be run on multiple processor types. This results in a file larger than a normal one-architecture binary file, thus the name. </p><p>The usual method of implementation is to include a version of the <a href="/facts/Machine_code/bgdQ1Fxf">machine code</a> for each instruction set, preceded by a single <a href="/facts/Entry_point/nN52vHKb">entry point</a> with code compatible with all operating systems, which executes a jump to the appropriate section. Alternative implementations store different executables in different <a href="/facts/Fork_(file_system)/B1QFYk2t">forks</a>, each with its own entry point that is directly used by the operating system. </p><p>The use of fat binaries is not common in <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating system</a> software; there are several alternatives to solve the same problem, such as the use of an <a href="/facts/Installer/EQzPeYv2">installer</a> program to choose an architecture-specific binary at install time (such as with <a href="/facts/Android_(operating_system)/nNyHb0xz">Android</a> multiple <a href="/facts/Android_Package/DMGT8tah">APKs</a>), selecting an architecture-specific binary at runtime (such as with <a href="/facts/Plan_9_from_Bell_Labs/pQjPlS7w">Plan 9</a>'s <a href="/facts/Union_directory_(Plan_9)/pQjPlS7w">union directories</a> and <a href="/facts/GNUstep/LaIT4jYx">GNUstep</a>'s fat bundles), distributing software in <a href="/facts/Source_code/o9J6Jv23">source code</a> form and <a href="/facts/Compiler/WNfCDFJe">compiling</a> it in-place, or the use of a <a href="/facts/Virtual_machine/BLevU3sx">virtual machine</a> (such as with <a href="/facts/Java_Virtual_Machine/l9Nzrsun">Java</a>) and <a href="/facts/Just-in-time_compilation/rEYDsd8l">just-in-time compilation</a>. </p>