Re: Green Hills CEO: Linux threat to free world!

From: Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker_at_physik.rwth-aachen.de)
Date: 04/10/04 

Date: 10 Apr 2004 18:02:27 GMT

Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com> wrote:
> Lewin A.R.W. Edwards <larwe@larwe.com> says...

> >> Well, I don't recall ever installing an application onto Windows, finding it
> >> required an updated DLL, and when that DLL is installed finding that other
> >> applications installed earlier in the day mysteriously stop working, which
> >
> >ROFL! But Windows is _legendary_ for this kind of behavior!
[...]

> Given the well know nature of this problem, Microsoft admitting
> that it is a problem, and his claim to be a long-time windows
> user, I am at a loss as to how Lewin Edwards came to the conclusion
> that he posted above.

Hint: you're almost certainly misattributing that conclusion --- it's
not Lewin's one that is in disagreement with that MSFT person you
quoted, but that of the person Lewin answered to. A little more care
with the quoting and snipping might be in order.

In a nutshell, DLL Hell is a horrible nuisance caused by the fact that
Windows DLLs lack (usable) versioning. I.e. of any DLL, there can
only be *one* version installed in the system-wide place. And
according to Mr. Murphy, if two incompatible version of any DLL exist
anywhere on the planet, the version you find in that place will
invariably be the wrong one.

Linux, OTOH, will happily maintain 10 different versions of libc.so in
your system, and each app can use the one it needs. 

-- 
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker@physik.rwth-aachen.de)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.