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0 pointsliquid_thyme6d ago0 comments

The issue on Linux is that the distro's package manager decides which versions of shared libraries exist system wide, and this works well when you install everything through the package manager. Windows SxS is specifically designed to allow multiple incompatible versions of the same shared component to coexist without forcing the entire Windows install to use it.

But okay, I accept your point. However I'd like to point out that "the OS allows you do something in multiple ways" is different from "this is the only way to do it"

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ElectricalUnion6d ago

> The issue on Linux is that the distro's package manager decides which versions of shared libraries exist system wide, and this works well when you install everything through the package manager.

Linux takes the lead: make code that depends directly on `kernel32.dll` exposed interfaces and you're in a world of hurt.

The problem pointed out is a distro, library compatiblity, packaging, or sand-boxing problem, not a Linux problem.

> Windows SxS

Now that's one very good Windows idea.

Nothing should prevent your favourite packaging/sandbox tool to present a facade that the file system has some specific files (your specific version of libraries) over some more generic files (say, Flatpak: freedesktop SDK, Steam Pressure Vessel: Steam Runtime) over some even more generic files (your actual distro libraries).

On the other hand, almost _nobody_ and _nothing_ should be touching "libraries" or "utilities" or whatever on my base system!

liquid_thymeOP6d ago

>The problem pointed out is a distro, library compatiblity, packaging, or sand-boxing problem, not a Linux problem.

Are you suggesting Windows users switch to Linux and not use a popular distro that can provide software they need? Otherwise, its simply a pedantic argument.

>Nothing should prevent your favourite packaging/sandbox tool to present a facade that the file system has some specific files (your specific version of libraries) over some more generic files (say, Flatpak: freedesktop SDK, Steam Pressure Vessel: Steam Runtime) over some even more generic files (your actual distro libraries).

If you introduce a new library in facade 2.0, its not going to work in facade 1.0. You can backport, but how many versions are you realistically going to support indefinitely? Its a good idea, but it doesn't solve the full problem.

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