Rob Mann wrote:
could wait for the next update to red-carpet, but why should I have to? Doesn't redhat want to be backwards compatible (at least 1 version)?
There have been warning in the RELEASE-NOTES aboiut Ximian products since the first release of Red Hat Linux after Ximian released products.
RPM is improving and adding functionality that people want. It breaks compatibility on version changes. RHL-8.0 uses rpm-4.1 and RHL-9 uses rpm-4.2. My RHL-9 boxes do hav compatyibility packages for rpm-4.0.x (the version from RHL-7.x) though. I'm not sure about the compatibility between the 4.x releases though.
Crossover office is a total mystery. I get an error that it can't find the installed applications. I just updated my CXoffice when I installed RedHat 8 because of course the previous version was only compatible with 7.3. I also tried crossover-wine which is sort of the GNU equivalent and had error about "chdir to /tmp/.wine-rmann/server-302-43a3". I've seen this problem (unresolved) on the web and really just wish I could get my Codewevers product to work.
This is a know problem with wine (the code base CX* uses) and is being addressed. But basicall the new threading code fixes lots of old issues, but breaks code that used tricks in the old glibc. Most code has no problems with the new glibc, and most that do were mentioned in the RELEASE-NOTES for RHL-9.
Wait for you vendor to support the new version _BEFORE_ you upgrade.
So, what is it now about Linux and backwards compatibility? Are all the libs changing in such a way that they won't support previously installed
No. I'll wager 80% or more of the apps developed on RHL-7.x still work fine. more than half of those that don't simply need a recompile.
As far as I know, even Windows XP can still run Win 3.x, Win95 and DOS programs and Mac OS X has a whole compatibility layer to run previous MacOS software.
Noe of which is perfect. I remember WinNT4 having trouble with lots of older app. And Win98 has troublewith some. I wouldn't know about new M$ "OS"es, but I'm sure there are still problem cases.
When is this going to change with Linux so that I can keep my OS up to date and still productively use my third party (paid) software? Of
You run the OS versions that are supported by your vendors. I've seen similar problem in Solaris. You run Solaris-2.5.1 because that's the supported version. The fact that Sun was currently at (2.)8 didn't matter. The same is happening with linux. Several vendors only support RHL-7.2 right now. Of course if used the software on RHL-8.0 without problems, or minor anoyances/fixes, but they aren't supported.
course, I'm sure there are a thousand console and GNU programs that still run regardless of the OS version, but what about my shiny desktop software?
The Corel, wordperfect release I have wouldn't run on WinNT4 or Win98 untill Corel released a patch for it. I'd be surprized if it worked on Win2k or WinXP.
-Thomas
