Are all/majority of applications for linux compatible with each distro?
Saturday, August 14th, 2010 at
04:58
Aren’t all linux distros using a very similar kernel so it should run all to most programs right?
Tagged with: kernel • Linux • linux distros
Filed under: Linux Applications
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No, it is not quite that simple.
1. It is not just the kernel that is important for running apps.
2. Most programs also need supporting files called libraries and have other needed dependent programs, and the different distros place their libraries in different locations or call them but different names. This is a problem that various linux distros use a different way to organize their files.
3. The linux distros that do not compile the programs but use binaries (which is the large majority) use packages to install programs, and the packages use differing ways to handle the libraries and dependent files that are not universally compatible.
It is true that any linux distro should be able to compile from source code any linux program but you would also have to also get the supporting files and programs.
Well since almost every program that runs on a linux distribution is open source, it means that it is possible to recompile on any other linux system. They are all using the same kernel, some are just newer/older, so all nonfree programs are still binary compatible for all linux distributions.
Some programs rely on certain libraries that may not be compatible. So each program will probably be compiled to work only with a certain distro.
Good news is you probably can compile it yourself or maybe someone already did.
Another option is to run ldd against the binary to find out what libraries it needs then you can copy the binary and associated libs. This doesn’t always work though.