Benjamin Scott wrote:
>
> [RE: Having to maintain multiple incompatible versions of binaries]
>
> On Mon, 7 Aug 2000, Derek Martin wrote:
> > I'm reasonably certain that Linus et. al. would tell you that the code is
> > updated for a reason (i.e. it was broken before, and it's much fixed now)
> > so you should upgrade all of your systems at the shortest reasonable
> > interval you can manage.
>
> I see several practical problems with that line of reasoning. One is that
> upgrades are *never* a smooth process (Murphy's Law), and being able to do
> things as gradually as possible helps. Another is that changes I am talking
> about are sometimes -- not always -- frequent, many, and incremental. Still
> another is latency -- if the entire world switched over at once, it wouldn't
> be such a big deal, but that isn't the way things work. Just look at all the
> heartache getting everyone to transition to glibc2/libc6. Lastly, neither
> developer time nor admin time is infinite, and perhaps a little time spent
> earlier on in the process would save much more time later on. Time that could
> be spent further improving Linux/GNU/etc.
>
> > And you have the source, so it's "easy" for you to do that.
>
> I like Open Source/Free Software as much as the next guy (assuming the next
> guy isn't Richard Stallman ;-), but I also live and work in the Real
> World(TM), where I'm afraid I *don't* always have the source. :-(
>
I wish I could find the thread I saw on LKML a while back, some module
maker wanting an ABI, with similar reasoning. Linus' answer was on
the order of "You chose to use something for which you couldn't get
source, it's your problem." Alan's was "which binary interface do we
standardize: name the architecture, UP/SMP, compiler, optimizations,
etc, etc" (OK, Alan & Linus were looking at the
driver<-->kernel<-->library interfaces, but I suspect it's similar for
the other interfaces).
I'm NOT saying I fully agree with his answer, but I think the short
answers are:
1. Unless Linus et al are replaced, this attitude will continue.
2. That makes it incumbant on the distribution guys to work to get
the binary
app folks to recompile their stuff as systems upgrade
3. It's up to us to keep pressure on folks to RELEASE THE SOURCE!
--
jeff smith
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thought for the day: At the end of your life there'll be a good rest,
and no further activities
are scheduled.
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