It's absolutely a choice. All software can progress while preserving backward compatibility for existing users. It's not always easy, but it's never impossible.

▲

jcalvinowens 3 hours ago | parent [-]

> All software can progress while preserving backward compatibility for existing users

That's an incredibly ignorant claim. Just run "git log" in glibc, it won't take you very long to prove yourself wrong.

▲

mxey 3 hours ago | parent [-]

glibc, which has had ABI compatibility for decades?

▲

jcalvinowens 3 hours ago | parent [-]

There have been plenty of build breaking changes over the past couple decades, generally they happen for very good reasons and only affect niche usecases.

▲

mxey 3 hours ago | parent [-]

So existing binaries will keep working?

	▲	jcalvinowens 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Not necessarily if you go back far enough to have nss problems :)