ISO/IEC 23360-8-3:2021

Overview - ISO/IEC 23360-8-3:2021 (Linux Standard Base, Desktop for S390X)

ISO/IEC 23360-8-3:2021 is the S390X architecture–specific part of the Linux Standard Base (LSB) Desktop specification. It supplements the LSB Desktop common part by defining the binary and system interfaces (ABIs) and the minimal runtime/installation environment required for compiled desktop applications running on IBM S390X systems. The standard is primarily a binary-interface definition intended to enable a uniform industry environment for high‑volume desktop applications and support predictable installation behavior on S390X platforms.

Key technical topics and requirements

• ABI and API scope: The specification focuses on Application Binary Interfaces (ABIs) required for conforming implementations; APIs at source level are referenced where relevant but the document is primarily binary-focused.
• Architecture-specific augmentation: This part supplements the LSB Desktop common part with the interfaces that differ for the S390X processor architecture. Implementers must use it together with the common Desktop document.
• Mandatory interfaces: Interfaces listed in this architecture-specific part are mandatory except where explicitly noted otherwise.
• GTK+ and Qt stacks: Detailed interface listings and data definitions cover major desktop stacks, including GTK+ libraries (glib, gobject, gio, atk, pango, gtk, gdk-pixbuf) and Qt libraries (QtCore, QtGui, QtOpenGL, QtSql, QtSvg, QtNetwork, etc.).
• X11, rendering and multimedia libraries: Annex and interface lists include X11-related libraries (libX11, libXext, libXrender), OpenGL (libGL, libGLU), Cairo, fontconfig, freetype, libjpeg, libpng, libtiff and audio libraries (libasound).
• Package format and installation: The standard includes requirements for software installation and package dependency handling to support a consistent installation environment and installation scripts.
• Conformance guidance: The document describes how compilation systems may map source-level APIs to binary interfaces, and which ABIs must be provided by an LSB-conforming implementation.

Practical applications and users

• Software vendors and independent software vendors (ISVs) packaging desktop applications for S390X can use this standard to ensure binary compatibility across S390X Linux distributions.
• Linux distributors, system integrators and porting teams use it to verify that runtime libraries and package installations conform to LSB Desktop expectations.
• Build engineers, package maintainers and QA teams rely on the specification to create reproducible builds, resolve ABI compatibility issues, and validate installation scripts.
• Organizations deploying enterprise desktop applications on IBM Z (s390x) hardware use the standard to reduce runtime surprises and maintain cross-vendor compatibility.

Related standards

• LSB Desktop common part (use together with this architecture-specific part)
• LSB Core module (interfaces supplemented by Desktop)
• Other parts of the ISO/IEC 23360 series covering additional modules and architectures

Keywords: ISO/IEC 23360-8-3:2021, Linux Standard Base, LSB, S390X, Desktop specification, ABI, API, GTK+, Qt, package installation, software compatibility.