Why do we need so many versions of glibc?
 

Sorry I dont understand, coming from a windows background, why we need so many versions of libraries? I am a newbie so be gentle lol! Point is, many dlls in windows are backward-compatible with even ancient programs, so that you dont have to install a specific version? Just wondering why its so different in Linux.

DB3D

it's not. it's just that as soon as some software uses some of the new features of a library, you can't use an older one. i used to often take binaries from different distributions, and as long as the libraries were new enough in where i was moving the files too, it would work. i don't think if it as a problem, but since there are so many distributions, with different people working on each different set of library files, the distributions just have to take the libraries where they are and in the condition they are in. if there were just one linux distrubution, there would really only be the library versions floating around that were in official versions of that distribution, not from every beta of every distribution like it is. occasionally an old library is abandoned for a new format. then you lose backward compatibility.

I see. Its just a pain to instal anything for me, first having to install older libraries. I guess I'm just used to good old MS maintaining things to retain compatibility, which to be fair they do quite well.

Im not really sure thats MS are making a good job of maintaining compatibility, granted with linux there are more libary versions and sometimes it can be a pain. However anyone who has programmed visual basic can vouch for the lack of compatibility between different dlls in windows - and to be fair microsoft are only one company, its easier for them to coordinate compatibility but they still manage to mess it up (unless its a marketing strategy).

Lack of compatibility is just a sign of technological evolution and IMHO MS aren't dealing with it any better than the linux community.

So can you download a library file (as in a dll in win) and put it in the local directory, where it will be found infront of any other directory? Its like this in Windows and thats VERY nice!

noobie here dont forget!

Dean