Static Linking Considered Harmful (2004)

Re:Static Linking Considered Harmful (2004) by Joker_vD on Monday September 28, 2020 @02:10PM (#24619587)

Oh, I think I understand your point now: there are old versions of SDL2 for old Linuxes, and more recent versions of SDL2 for modern Linuxes, and they use different Linux subsystems, but since they have the same API, any old software that used SDL2 still functions properly to modern Linux even though the low levels of the stack have changed dramatically.

Yes, that's a valid point actually. But ultimately it's a bet on what API will end up more durable: X11 or SDL2, isn't it?

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Re:Static Linking Considered Harmful (2004) by klodolph on Monday September 28, 2020 @02:23PM (#24619754)

Yeah, it’s a bet on which API is more durable. Some other minor factors are that you might want a newer SDL anyway, because the library comes with a database of different models of gamepads (https://github.com/gabomdq/SDL_GameControllerDB) and if you link against SDL dynamically, you get support for newer gamepad models for “free”.

One of the other factors here is that the ability to play old games is in some sense about the preservation of culture. If you have an x64 Linux binary that uses SDL + OpenGL, I have a strong feeling that you’ll be able to play it 20 years from now, although it might inconvenient to get working.

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