[haiku-development] Re: GCC2 and GCC4 on same System

  • From: Stephan Assmus <superstippi@xxxxxx>
  • To: haiku-development@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 03 Sep 2007 11:42:10 +0200

Hi,

Euan Kirkhope wrote (2007-09-03, 10:30:36 [+0200]):
> I personally think it is a good idea that Haiku doesn't take the 
> presumption that all applications and other Binaries can be simply 
> re-built if and when a a new compiler comes out.  In addition to API 
> stability, ABI stability is just as if not more crucial.  In 5 or 10 
> years time, an good OS is going to want to be able to run binaries 
> created now.  It's the only real way to guarantee a decent catalog of
> 3rd party and commerical apps.

I agree. On the other hand, BeOS was always about "no cruft". So I am 
hoping that backwards compatibility will not make a messy system of Haiku 
when it benefits only a small amount of the userbase. As a solution to 
this, at some point in the future, I could imagine backwards compatibility 
being implemented in the form of an "add-on". Ie, if you belong to the 
group of users in need to run some old software, you could install the 
"backwards compatibility components" and that will enable you to run the 
old software, while the rest of the userbase gets a cleaner system. Oh 
well, just an idea. We should probably cross that bridge when we are there.

Best regards,
-Stephan

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