http://fileformats.archiveteam.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=ArneJust Solve the File Format Problem - User contributions [en]2026-05-10T06:15:30ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.19.2http://fileformats.archiveteam.org/wiki/Linear_ExecutableLinear Executable2020-05-05T14:17:13Z<p>Arne: Added link Open Watcom structs with LX/LE differences</p>
<hr />
<div>{{FormatInfo<br />
|formattype=electronic<br />
|subcat=Executables<br />
|extensions={{ext|386}}, {{ext|dll}}, {{ext|exe}}, {{ext|sys}}, {{ext|vxd}}<br />
}}<br />
'''Linear Executable''' is an executable file format in the [[EXE]] family. It was used by 32-bit OS/2, by some DOS extenders, and by Microsoft Windows VxD files. It is an extension of [[MS-DOS EXE]], and a successor to [[NE]] (New Executable).<br />
<br />
There are two main varieties of it: '''LX''' (32-bit), and '''LE''' (mixed 16/32-bit).<br />
<br />
== Identification ==<br />
A Linear Executable file begins with the ASCII signature "<code>MZ</code>". At offset 60 is a 4-byte integer pointing to an "extended" header that begins with "<code>LX</code>" or "<code>LE</code>". For more information, see [[MS-DOS EXE]].<br />
<br />
== Specifications ==<br />
* [http://www.textfiles.com/programming/FORMATS/lxexe.txt LX Format Description]<br />
** [http://www.oldlinux.org/Linux.old/study/sabre/os/files/Executables/LX.txt Another copy of the document]<br />
* [http://faydoc.tripod.com/formats/exe-LE.htm (.vxd) LINEAR-EXECUTABLE File Header Layout] (LE)<br />
<br />
== Sample files ==<br />
* http://cd.textfiles.com/hobbesos29411/BIN/ → *.EXE (LX, OS/2 console)<br />
* http://cd.textfiles.com/hobbesos2/2_X/GAMES/ → *.ZIP → *.EXE (LX, OS/2 GUI)<br />
* http://cd.textfiles.com/silvercollection/disc4/DRIVERS/ - The *.386 files inside the archive files (for example, [http://cd.textfiles.com/silvercollection/disc4/DRIVERS/19GXE.ARJ 19GXE.ARJ] → VDDS3.386) use MS Windows LE / VxD format.<br />
* [http://cd.textfiles.com/doomcompanion/DOOM/DOOM.EXE DOOM.EXE] - Example of the format used by some DOS extenders. Technically this is an [[MS-DOS EXE]] file, with an embedded LE file.<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
* [[Dynamic-link library (Windows)]]<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190202155306/http://www.tenberry.com/dos4g/faq/format.html DOS/4G and DOS/4GW FAQ: Executable File Format(s)]<br />
* [http://www.mitec.cz/exe.html EXE Explorer utility]<br />
* [https://github.com/open-watcom/open-watcom-v2/blob/master/bld/watcom/h/exeflat.h Open Watcom structs with LX/LE differences]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Windows]]<br />
[[Category:OS/2]]</div>Arnehttp://fileformats.archiveteam.org/wiki/Linear_ExecutableLinear Executable2020-04-30T19:19:38Z<p>Arne: replaced tenberry.com link with wayback link</p>
<hr />
<div>{{FormatInfo<br />
|formattype=electronic<br />
|subcat=Executables<br />
|extensions={{ext|386}}, {{ext|dll}}, {{ext|exe}}, {{ext|sys}}, {{ext|vxd}}<br />
}}<br />
'''Linear Executable''' is an executable file format in the [[EXE]] family. It was used by 32-bit OS/2, by some DOS extenders, and by Microsoft Windows VxD files. It is an extension of [[MS-DOS EXE]], and a successor to [[NE]] (New Executable).<br />
<br />
There are two main varieties of it: '''LX''' (32-bit), and '''LE''' (mixed 16/32-bit).<br />
<br />
== Identification ==<br />
A Linear Executable file begins with the ASCII signature "<code>MZ</code>". At offset 60 is a 4-byte integer pointing to an "extended" header that begins with "<code>LX</code>" or "<code>LE</code>". For more information, see [[MS-DOS EXE]].<br />
<br />
== Specifications ==<br />
* [http://www.textfiles.com/programming/FORMATS/lxexe.txt LX Format Description]<br />
** [http://www.oldlinux.org/Linux.old/study/sabre/os/files/Executables/LX.txt Another copy of the document]<br />
* [http://faydoc.tripod.com/formats/exe-LE.htm (.vxd) LINEAR-EXECUTABLE File Header Layout] (LE)<br />
<br />
== Sample files ==<br />
* http://cd.textfiles.com/hobbesos29411/BIN/ → *.EXE (LX, OS/2 console)<br />
* http://cd.textfiles.com/hobbesos2/2_X/GAMES/ → *.ZIP → *.EXE (LX, OS/2 GUI)<br />
* http://cd.textfiles.com/silvercollection/disc4/DRIVERS/ - The *.386 files inside the archive files (for example, [http://cd.textfiles.com/silvercollection/disc4/DRIVERS/19GXE.ARJ 19GXE.ARJ] → VDDS3.386) use MS Windows LE / VxD format.<br />
* [http://cd.textfiles.com/doomcompanion/DOOM/DOOM.EXE DOOM.EXE] - Example of the format used by some DOS extenders. Technically this is an [[MS-DOS EXE]] file, with an embedded LE file.<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
* [[Dynamic-link library (Windows)]]<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190202155306/http://www.tenberry.com/dos4g/faq/format.html DOS/4G and DOS/4GW FAQ: Executable File Format(s)]<br />
* [http://www.mitec.cz/exe.html EXE Explorer utility]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Windows]]<br />
[[Category:OS/2]]</div>Arne