This is a comparison of binary executable file formats which, once loaded by a suitable executable loader, can be directly executed by the CPU rather than being interpreted by software. In addition to the binary application code, the executables may contain headers and tables with relocation and fixup information as well as various kinds of meta data. Among those formats listed, the ones in most common use are PE (on Microsoft Windows), ELF (on Linux and most other versions of Unix), Mach-O (on macOS and iOS) and MZ (on DOS).
Format name Operating system Filename extension Explicit processor declarations Arbitrary sections Metadata Digital signature String table Symbol table 64-bit Fat binaries Can contain icon ELF Unix-like, OpenVMS, BeOS from R4 onwards, Haiku, SerenityOS none by file PE Windows, ReactOS, HX DOS Extender, BeOS (R3 only) .EXE by file PE32+ Windows (64-bit editions only) .EXE by file Mach-O NeXTSTEP, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS none by file or subfile of a multi-architecture binary (limited to max. 256 sections) (multi-architecture binary) OS/360 OS/360 and successors, and VS/9, mainframe operating systems none GOFF IBM MVS and z/OS mainframe operating systems none a.out Unix-like none COFF Unix-like none by file ECOFF Ultrix, Tru64 UNIX, IRIX none by file XCOFF IBM AIX, BeOS, "classic" Mac OS none by file SOM HP-UX, MPE/ix Amiga Hunk AmigaOS none PEF "classic" Mac OS, BeOS (PPC only) none by file CMD CP/M-86, MP/M-86, Concurrent CP/M-86, Personal CP/M-86, S5-DOS, Concurrent DOS, Concurrent DOS 286, FlexOS, S5-DOS/ST, S5-DOS/MT, Concurrent DOS 386, Multiuser DOS, System Manager, REAL/32, DOS Plus .CMD (x86 only) FlexOS 186 FlexOS 186, FlexOS 286, S5-DOS/ST, S5-DOS/MT, 4680 OS, FlexOS 386, 4690 OS .186 (186/188 and higher only) FlexOS 286 FlexOS 286, S5-DOS/ST, S5-DOS/MT, 4680 OS, FlexOS 386, 4690 OS .286 (286 and higher only) CP/M-68K CP/M-68K, Concurrent DOS 68K, FlexOS 68K .68K (68000 and higher only) COM (CP/M) CP/M, MP/M, Concurrent CP/M, Personal CP/M .COM (8080/Z80 only) (BDOS 3 and higher only) COM (DOS) DOS, OS/2, Windows (except for 64-bit editions), Concurrent CP/M-86 (BDOS 3.1 only), Concurrent DOS, Concurrent DOS 286, FlexOS, Concurrent DOS 386, Multiuser DOS, System Manager, REAL/32, DOS Plus .COM (x86 only) (Novell/Caldera VERSION etc.) MZ (DOS) DOS, OS/2, Windows (except for 64-bit editions), Concurrent DOS 286, FlexOS, Concurrent DOS 386, Multiuser DOS, System Manager, REAL/32, DOS Plus .EXE (x86 only) (Novell/Caldera VERSION etc.) MZ (GEM) GEM, ViewMAX .APP/.ACC (x86 only) NE MS-DOS 4.0 (multitasking), OS/2, Windows, HX DOS Extender .EXE (x86 only) LE, (W3, W4) OS/2 (2.0 and higher only), some DOS extenders .EXE by file (286 and higher only) LX OS/2 (2.0 and higher only), some 32-bit DOS extenders .EXE by file PIM/XIP PalmDOS (MINIMAX applications only) .PIM/.XIP (x86 only) DL MS-DOS System Manager applications (HP LX series only) .EXM (186/188 and higher only) MP Phar Lap DOS extenders .EXP (286 and higher only) P2 Phar Lap 16-bit DOS extenders .EXP (286 and higher only) P3 Phar Lap 32-bit DOS extenders .EXP (386 and higher only) GEOS PC/GEOS, Geoworks Ensemble, NewDeal Office, Breadbox Ensemble .GEO (x86 only)
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