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''Binaries'' are the machine executable files created by compiling [[Source_code|source code]].

The expectation on Unix machines is that the same [[Source_code|source code]] works across all supported flavors, but it must be re-compiled for each machine. Packages for a particular Linux distribution are a counter-example. The expectation on Windows machines is that the same binaries work across all support flavors.

Therefore, much of the Unix [[gloss]] occurs during compilation and buildilng (scripts and pre-processor directives within source code), while on Windows, much of the platform [[gloss]] occurs at run-time (source code proper).