someone says "download the binaries" -- what does that mean to you?

TechBoyJK

Lifer
Oct 17, 2002
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I know binary means 0101010101010

So when someone says binary files... aren't all files binary?
 

LinuxIdiot

Golden Member
May 20, 2002
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to me it means download the executable instead of the source code....but maybe i am overthinking this
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
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fobot.com
as opposed to source files

source is typically in text format

source files are used (most often with a compiler program) to create "binaries" , ie executable files
 

Platypus

Lifer
Apr 26, 2001
31,046
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136
to me it means grab the precompiled executables rather than compiling your own from source.
 

a123456

Senior member
Oct 26, 2006
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Being a linux user, then yeah, binaries = executables for a particular program.

I usually download the binaries since I can't be bothered to compile from source unless there's a good reason.
 

TechBoyJK

Lifer
Oct 17, 2002
16,699
60
91
so would a good way to look at be

Source code, it its uncompiled state, is not machine readable code. It's still in human readable form. Compiling this said code into a package that is in turn, machine readable, is in essence making the source code "binary" because machines can read 1010010101010
 

Crusty

Lifer
Sep 30, 2001
12,684
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For C-like languages you typically go from Source(human readable) -> assembly(super-human readable) -> machine language
 

Possessed Freak

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 1999
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someone says "download the binaries" -- what does that mean to you?

tech equivalent of - go to the mattresses.
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
so would a good way to look at be

Source code, it its uncompiled state, is not machine readable code. It's still in human readable form. Compiling this said code into a package that is in turn, machine readable, is in essence making the source code "binary" because machines can read 1010010101010

yeah
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
71,258
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www.anyf.ca
I usually think of "stand alone application" aka no compiling or coding required. Though that term is not really well used as all files are in binary, even text files, they just happen to use a range of values that make up words we understand.
 

Train

Lifer
Jun 22, 2000
13,599
90
91
www.bing.com
More specifically than just an executable, I think the phrase "download the binaries" means to download the INSTALLER. Which will then expand into the exe and all neccesary files, which may or may not be binaries themselves (text files, config files, images, etc).
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
101,144
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It's a protocol thing. When you ftp, you had to specify if you want to use ascii mode or binary mode.
 

squirrel dog

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
5,564
48
91
Thats Linux lingo . Thats what has made Linux the garage band os , if you can't deal with the dipshiteyness of downloading the binaries,you can't update your kernal,so you are left all alone and if you ask for help anywhere you are asked to read the mans .What The Fuck ?
 

JimmiG

Platinum Member
Feb 24, 2005
2,024
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so would a good way to look at be

Source code, it its uncompiled state, is not machine readable code. It's still in human readable form. Compiling this said code into a package that is in turn, machine readable, is in essence making the source code "binary" because machines can read 1010010101010

True, but even a .txt file isn't *really* readable unless you know the ASCII or Unicode table by heart :) It's just a string of octets, and your computer converts those into characters to display on the screen...
 
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