23.1. How to Install the Linux Emulator

Linux emulation in FreeBSD has reached a point where it is possible to run a large fraction of Linux binaries in both a.out and ELF format. The linux emulation in the 2.1-STABLE branch is capable of running Linux DOOM and Mathematica; the version present in 2.2.8-RELEASE is vastly more capable and runs all these as well as Quake, Abuse, IDL, netrek for Linux and a whole host of other programs.

There are some Linux-specific operating system features that are not supported on FreeBSD. Linux binaries will not work on FreeBSD if they use the Linux /proc filesystem (which is different from the optional FreeBSD /proc filesystem) or i386-specific calls, such as enabling virtual 8086 mode.

Depending on which version of FreeBSD you are running, how you get Linux-emulation up will vary slightly:

23.1.1. Installing Linux Emulation in 2.1-STABLE

23.1.2. Installing Linux Emulation in 2.2.2-RELEASE and later

23.1.3. Installing Linux Runtime Libraries

23.1.3.1. Installing using the linux_lib port

23.1.3.2. Installing libraries manually

23.1.3.3. How to install additional shared libraries

23.1.3.4. Configuring the ld.so -- for FreeBSD 2.2-RELEASE and later

23.1.4. Installing Linux ELF binaries

23.1.5. Configuring the host name resolver

23.1.6. Finding the necessary files