Rich kids are into COBOL

[Todd Goodman]

* Tor Arntsen <kspt.tor at gmail.com> [150304 21:17]:
> On 4 March 2015 at 18:56, Todd Goodman <tsg at bonedaddy.net> wrote:
> > * Guy Sotomayor <ggs at shiresoft.com> [150304 12:45]:
> >>[...] I had several cases where one program needed a
> >> specific version of a system library, another program needed a
> >> *different* specific version of the library and the rest of the system
> >> wanting yet a 3rd version of the same library.
> >>
> >> TTFN - Guy
> >>
> >
> > After running into that particular package hell early on in my Linux
> > experience, I switched to Gentoo linux where multiple versions of
> > libraries can be installed at the same time and used by whatever
> > software needs them.
> >
> > Todd
> 
> As can Debian, so I'm a bit surprised. It's straight forward on *nix-like
> systems to have multiple run-time versions of a library. It's designed
> for it.
> The problem is when you need different *compile time* (aka development)
> versions of a library, then you'll need to have different name spaces.
> The remaining issue may be that the distro may not provide different
> versions of all the libraries you need out of the box. Then there will
> be additional
> work. And that may or may not be more effort than it's worth, granted.
> 
> -Tor

You don't strictly need different namespaces even at compile time,
just to pull the library in from a different install location (and set
the proper link options on the build.

This is a lot easier under Gentoo than in Debian or RedHat or other
binary distros (IMNSHO.)

And while it's not hard to add a PPD or whatever it's called for Debian,
it's exceedingly easy to add a slotted ebuild on Gentoo supporting a new
version of a library that can be installed alongside other versions of
the same library (runtime and compiletime on Gentoo.)

But to each their own.

Todd