Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!batcomputer!munnari.oz.au!mundamutti.cs.mu.OZ.AU!kre From: kre@cs.mu.oz.au (Robert Elz) Newsgroups: comp.unix.internals Subject: Re: Shared libraries Message-ID: Date: 5 May 91 07:05:40 GMT References: <19239@rpp386.cactus.org> <1991Apr29.031351.3912@decuac.dec.com> <1991May4.132632.13885@mp.cs.niu.edu> Sender: news@cs.mu.oz.au Lines: 17 rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert) writes: >You have just listed as a benefit of shared libraries that feature which >can cause perfectly good working programs to suddenly be broken just because >someone changed the shared libraries. Yes, of course - the power to improve is also the power to destroy. This isn't a disadvantage of the mechanism, its an advantage. Like anything powerful, if misused, it can be dangerous. The same argument could be used with respect to the kernel - its not part of the application, so it can be changed - if changed in an improper way applications will break, so obviously it must be a "major disadvantage" to have a separate kernel, and not have it complete linked into every application. kre