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0 pointsheavyset_go1y ago0 comments

Linux makes an explicit effort to not break userspace.

I had a weird experience where I had to use a device stuck on a 2.6.x kernel, and I was able to run a modern distribution on top of it.

Similarly, running old userlands on new kernels works just as well.

The issue with backwards compatibility isn't with the kernel, but ensuring that whatever you want to run is compatible with the surrounding userland environment. Dynamic linking can break backwards compatibility, for example, but that's an issue above Linux.

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lolinder1y ago

While you are technically correct, that turns it into a bit of an apples to oranges comparison with Windows because most of what we consider to be the Windows operating system would in the Linux world live in userspace. Which means that when we're comparing the user's experience of an average Linux distribution with Windows it's definitely fair to say that Linux doesn't prioritize backwards compatibility.

fbdab1031y ago

Just yesterday, I purchased a game from GOG where the Linux build cannot start, owing to who knows what expected platform profile. Maybe, technically, I could have fixed the problem. The Windows build worked without issue in Wine.

Wowfunhappy1y ago

However, because the kernel doesn't break userspace, you can use stuff like chroot to run old apps without a performance loss.

I do wish the tooling to make this seamless was better.

worewood1y ago

Assuming you can go through the dependency hell, because you can't use old packages on a new distro - so in most cases you have to compile by source... I've tried to run XMMS and suffered a lot.

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heavyset_goOP1y ago

If you haven't already checked it out, systemd-nspawn is invaluable if you find yourself needing to use chroot.

Combine it with QEMU's usermode emulation + binfmt-misc and you can run chroots for other architectures, too.

LeFantome1y ago

It depends. First, I think the kernel point is a powerful one.

Second, until Wayland, X11 also created crazy backwards compatibility. You can take run X apps that are decades old.

Where backwards compatibility is poor is in the desktop libraries like those in the GNOME and KDE ecosystems.

Even there though, the old libraries still work. You can keep them around if you want.

freedomben1y ago

Indeed, and with tools like Distrobox nowadays, it really is realistic to have a Fedora 40 host system running apps compiled for Fedora 17. In related news, being stuck with RHEL on the host has gotten a lot less painful. Desktops are finally really benefitting from containers (including flatpak)!

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