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| 2 | 2 |
| 3 <section id="nacl-and-pnacl"> | 3 <section id="nacl-and-pnacl"> |
| 4 <span id="id1"></span><h1 id="nacl-and-pnacl"><span id="id1"></span>NaCl and PNa
Cl</h1> | 4 <span id="id1"></span><h1 id="nacl-and-pnacl"><span id="id1"></span>NaCl and PNa
Cl</h1> |
| 5 <p>This document describes the differences between <strong>Native Client</strong
> and | 5 <p>This document describes the differences between <strong>Native Client</strong
> and |
| 6 <strong>Portable Native Client</strong>, and provides recommendations for when t
o use each.</p> | 6 <strong>Portable Native Client</strong>, and provides recommendations for when t
o use each.</p> |
| 7 <div class="contents local" id="contents" style="display: none"> | 7 <div class="contents local" id="contents" style="display: none"> |
| 8 <ul class="small-gap"> | 8 <ul class="small-gap"> |
| 9 <li><a class="reference internal" href="#native-client-nacl" id="id3">Native Cli
ent (NaCl)</a></li> | 9 <li><a class="reference internal" href="#native-client-nacl" id="id3">Native Cli
ent (NaCl)</a></li> |
| 10 <li><a class="reference internal" href="#portable-native-client-pnacl" id="id4">
Portable Native Client (PNaCl)</a></li> | 10 <li><a class="reference internal" href="#portable-native-client-pnacl" id="id4">
Portable Native Client (PNaCl)</a></li> |
| 11 <li><a class="reference internal" href="#when-to-use-pnacl" id="id5">When to use
PNaCl</a></li> | 11 <li><a class="reference internal" href="#when-to-use-pnacl" id="id5">When to use
PNaCl</a></li> |
| 12 <li><a class="reference internal" href="#when-to-use-nacl" id="id6">When to use
NaCl</a></li> | 12 <li><a class="reference internal" href="#when-to-use-nacl" id="id6">When to use
NaCl</a></li> |
| 13 </ul> | 13 </ul> |
| 14 | 14 |
| 15 </div><section id="native-client-nacl"> | 15 </div><h2 id="native-client-nacl">Native Client (NaCl)</h2> |
| 16 <h2 id="native-client-nacl">Native Client (NaCl)</h2> | |
| 17 <p>Native Client enables the execution of native code securely inside web | 16 <p>Native Client enables the execution of native code securely inside web |
| 18 applications through the use of advanced <a class="reference external" href="/na
tive-client/community/talks#research">Software Fault Isolation (SFI) | 17 applications through the use of advanced <a class="reference external" href="/na
tive-client/community/talks#research">Software Fault Isolation (SFI) |
| 19 techniques</a>. Since its launch in | 18 techniques</a>. Since its launch in |
| 20 2011, Native Client has provided developers with the ability to harness a | 19 2011, Native Client has provided developers with the ability to harness a |
| 21 client machine’s computational power to a much fuller extent than traditio
nal | 20 client machine’s computational power to a much fuller extent than traditio
nal |
| 22 web technologies, by running compiled C and C++ code at near-native speeds and | 21 web technologies, by running compiled C and C++ code at near-native speeds and |
| 23 taking advantage of multiple cores with shared memory.</p> | 22 taking advantage of multiple cores with shared memory.</p> |
| 24 <p>While Native Client provides operating system independence, it requires | 23 <p>While Native Client provides operating system independence, it requires |
| 25 developers to generate architecture-specific executable modules | 24 developers to generate architecture-specific executable modules |
| 26 (<strong>nexe</strong> modules) for each hardware platform. This is not only inc
onvenient | 25 (<strong>nexe</strong> modules) for each hardware platform. This is not only inc
onvenient |
| 27 for developers, but architecture-specific machine code is not portable and thus | 26 for developers, but architecture-specific machine code is not portable and thus |
| 28 not well-suited for the open web. The traditional method of application | 27 not well-suited for the open web. The traditional method of application |
| 29 distribution on the web is through a self-contained bundle of HTML, CSS, | 28 distribution on the web is through a self-contained bundle of HTML, CSS, |
| 30 JavaScript, and other resources (images, etc.) that can be hosted on a server | 29 JavaScript, and other resources (images, etc.) that can be hosted on a server |
| 31 and run inside a web browser. With this type of distribution, a website | 30 and run inside a web browser. With this type of distribution, a website |
| 32 created today should still work years later, on all platforms. | 31 created today should still work years later, on all platforms. |
| 33 Architecture-specific executables are clearly not a good fit for distribution | 32 Architecture-specific executables are clearly not a good fit for distribution |
| 34 on the web. As a consequence, Native Client has been restricted to | 33 on the web. As a consequence, Native Client has been restricted to |
| 35 applications and browser extensions that are installed through the | 34 applications and browser extensions that are installed through the |
| 36 Chrome Web Store.</p> | 35 Chrome Web Store.</p> |
| 37 </section><section id="portable-native-client-pnacl"> | |
| 38 <h2 id="portable-native-client-pnacl">Portable Native Client (PNaCl)</h2> | 36 <h2 id="portable-native-client-pnacl">Portable Native Client (PNaCl)</h2> |
| 39 <p>PNaCl solves the portability problem by splitting the compilation process | 37 <p>PNaCl solves the portability problem by splitting the compilation process |
| 40 into two parts:</p> | 38 into two parts:</p> |
| 41 <ol class="arabic simple"> | 39 <ol class="arabic simple"> |
| 42 <li>compiling the source code to a portable bitcode format, and</li> | 40 <li>compiling the source code to a portable bitcode format, and</li> |
| 43 <li>translating the bitcode to a host-specific executable.</li> | 41 <li>translating the bitcode to a host-specific executable.</li> |
| 44 </ol> | 42 </ol> |
| 45 <p>PNaCl enables developers | 43 <p>PNaCl enables developers |
| 46 to distribute <strong>portable executables</strong> (<strong>pexe</strong> modul
es) that the hosting | 44 to distribute <strong>portable executables</strong> (<strong>pexe</strong> modul
es) that the hosting |
| 47 environment (e.g., the Chrome browser) can translate to native code before | 45 environment (e.g., the Chrome browser) can translate to native code before |
| (...skipping 12 matching lines...) Expand all Loading... |
| 60 client-side translation will automatically be able to take advantage of | 58 client-side translation will automatically be able to take advantage of |
| 61 the new capabilities.</p> | 59 the new capabilities.</p> |
| 62 <p><strong>In short, PNaCl combines the portability of existing web technologies
with | 60 <p><strong>In short, PNaCl combines the portability of existing web technologies
with |
| 63 the performance and security benefits of Native Client.</strong></p> | 61 the performance and security benefits of Native Client.</strong></p> |
| 64 <p>With the advent of PNaCl, the distribution restriction of Native Client | 62 <p>With the advent of PNaCl, the distribution restriction of Native Client |
| 65 can be lifted. Specifically, a <strong>pexe</strong> module can be part of any w
eb | 63 can be lifted. Specifically, a <strong>pexe</strong> module can be part of any w
eb |
| 66 application—it does not have to be distributed through the Chrome Web | 64 application—it does not have to be distributed through the Chrome Web |
| 67 Store.</p> | 65 Store.</p> |
| 68 <p>PNaCl is a new technology, and as such it still has a few limitations | 66 <p>PNaCl is a new technology, and as such it still has a few limitations |
| 69 as compared to NaCl. These limitations are described below.</p> | 67 as compared to NaCl. These limitations are described below.</p> |
| 70 </section><section id="when-to-use-pnacl"> | |
| 71 <h2 id="when-to-use-pnacl">When to use PNaCl</h2> | 68 <h2 id="when-to-use-pnacl">When to use PNaCl</h2> |
| 72 <p>PNaCl is the preferred toolchain for Native Client, and the only way to deplo
y | 69 <p>PNaCl is the preferred toolchain for Native Client, and the only way to deplo
y |
| 73 Native Client modules on the open web. Unless your project is subject to one | 70 Native Client modules on the open web. Unless your project is subject to one |
| 74 of the narrow limitations described below | 71 of the narrow limitations described below |
| 75 (see <a class="reference internal" href="#when-to-use-nacl"><em>When to use NaCl
</em></a>), you should use PNaCl.</p> | 72 (see <a class="reference internal" href="#when-to-use-nacl"><em>When to use NaCl
</em></a>), you should use PNaCl.</p> |
| 76 <p>Beginning with version 31, the Chrome browser supports translation of | 73 <p>Beginning with version 31, the Chrome browser supports translation of |
| 77 <strong>pexe</strong> modules and their use in web applications, without requiri
ng | 74 <strong>pexe</strong> modules and their use in web applications, without requiri
ng |
| 78 any installation (either of a browser plugin or of the applications | 75 any installation (either of a browser plugin or of the applications |
| 79 themselves). Native Client and PNaCl are open-source technologies, and | 76 themselves). Native Client and PNaCl are open-source technologies, and |
| 80 our hope is that they will be added to other hosting platforms in the | 77 our hope is that they will be added to other hosting platforms in the |
| 81 future.</p> | 78 future.</p> |
| 82 <p>If controlled distribution through the Chrome Web Store is an important part | 79 <p>If controlled distribution through the Chrome Web Store is an important part |
| 83 of your product plan, the benefits of PNaCl are less critical for you. But | 80 of your product plan, the benefits of PNaCl are less critical for you. But |
| 84 you can still use the PNaCl toolchain and distribute your application | 81 you can still use the PNaCl toolchain and distribute your application |
| 85 through the Chrome Web Store, and thereby take advantage of the | 82 through the Chrome Web Store, and thereby take advantage of the |
| 86 conveniences of PNaCl, such as not having to explicitly compile your application | 83 conveniences of PNaCl, such as not having to explicitly compile your application |
| 87 for all supported architectures.</p> | 84 for all supported architectures.</p> |
| 88 </section><section id="when-to-use-nacl"> | 85 <h2 id="when-to-use-nacl"><span id="id2"></span>When to use NaCl</h2> |
| 89 <span id="id2"></span><h2 id="when-to-use-nacl"><span id="id2"></span>When to us
e NaCl</h2> | |
| 90 <p>The limitations below apply to the current release of PNaCl. If any of | 86 <p>The limitations below apply to the current release of PNaCl. If any of |
| 91 these limitations are critical for your application, you should use | 87 these limitations are critical for your application, you should use |
| 92 non-portable NaCl:</p> | 88 non-portable NaCl:</p> |
| 93 <ul class="small-gap"> | 89 <ul class="small-gap"> |
| 94 <li>By its nature, PNaCl does not support architecture-specific | 90 <li>By its nature, PNaCl does not support architecture-specific |
| 95 instructions in an application (i.e., inline assembly), but tries to | 91 instructions in an application (i.e., inline assembly), but tries to |
| 96 offer high-performance portable equivalents. One such example is | 92 offer high-performance portable equivalents. One such example is |
| 97 PNaCl’s <a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/reference/pnacl
-c-cpp-language-support.html#portable-simd-vectors"><em>Portable SIMD Vectors</e
m></a>.</li> | 93 PNaCl’s <a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/reference/pnacl
-c-cpp-language-support.html#portable-simd-vectors"><em>Portable SIMD Vectors</e
m></a>.</li> |
| 98 <li>Currently PNaCl only supports static linking with the <code>newlib</code> | 94 <li>Currently PNaCl only supports static linking with the <code>newlib</code> |
| 99 C standard library (the Native Client SDK provides a PNaCl port of | 95 C standard library (the Native Client SDK provides a PNaCl port of |
| 100 <code>newlib</code>). Dynamic linking and <code>glibc</code> are not yet support
ed. | 96 <code>newlib</code>). Dynamic linking and <code>glibc</code> are not yet support
ed. |
| 101 Work is under way to enable dynamic linking in future versions of PNaCl.</li> | 97 Work is under way to enable dynamic linking in future versions of PNaCl.</li> |
| 102 <li>In the initial release, PNaCl does not support some GNU extensions | 98 <li>In the initial release, PNaCl does not support some GNU extensions |
| 103 like taking the address of a label for computed <code>goto</code>, or nested | 99 like taking the address of a label for computed <code>goto</code>, or nested |
| 104 functions.</li> | 100 functions.</li> |
| 105 </ul> | 101 </ul> |
| 106 </section></section> | 102 </section> |
| 107 | 103 |
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