Newsletter Signup
Where current and emerging technology trends meet.
TecTrendsInformation Sources, Inc.
  | About TecTrends | Email Signup | Contact Us
 Live Search:
Live Search | Articles | Companies | TecTerms | Products
  Loading TecTrends Live Search - please wait... 
View Noteworthy Articles      PRNewswire
 
Article

Title: Tackling Dependencies

Author: Laderman, Zev Article Type: Product Analysis
Source: LinuxWorld Magazine, v3 n8 p42(2) Publication Date: Aug 2005
URL of Publication: http://www.linuxworld.com

A discussion is provided of the widely discussed Linux dependency problem, which is no problem at all for many users - until the day it bites them. Most Linux applications depend on the operating system (OS) to provide various parts of function that applications need, and the components are often shared libraries that are loaded on the fly and linked to the application at runtime. If libraries are replaced with a different, and probably newer version, problems can arise. The problem has also been long experienced with UNIX systems that use shared libraries extensively, and the DLL hell of older Microsoft Windows versions is another example of dependency. Linux differs from UNIX or Windows, however, because there is no central coordinating authority to ensure that changes take place in a controlled and consistent way. This is both a strength and a weakness of open source. When configuration management of system becomes complex due to dependency, such tasks as application of a security fix may require other changes to put dependencies in the proper configuration. Then the applications running those modified systems and distributions have to be tested before they are deemed stable and rolled out into production. This work has to be done separately on each distribution platform.

Products:
Linux

TecTerms:


[Get Copyright Permissions] Click here for copyright permissions!
Copyright 2004-2008 Information Sources Inc.
 


Home About TecTrends About Us Contact Us Privacy Statement Terms and Conditions

TecTrends | P.O. Box 8120 | Berkeley CA 94707 | (510) 525-6220 | Email: tectrends@tectrends.com
© 2006 INFORMATION SOURCES INC | All rights reserved.