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Who knew the version number was going to be Linux's first breaking API change?!?!

• zamadatix 6y ago
  Breaking API changes happen all the time, for example here is a syscall being removed after being deprecated for 10 years http://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1911.3/02404.html http://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1911.3/02404.html Linux strives to never break the API, and when it must does it in the most painless way possible. That doesn't mean they don't ever break the API, happens much more often than one would think to be honest. It's just the caution and planning around doing so usually makes it so few people ever even notice.
  • Alupis 6y ago
    Specifically, the kernel strives to never break Userspace - not necessarily the kernel's API.
    • charliesome 6y ago
      There might be a nuance here I haven't grasped, but isn't the kernel's API == its syscall ABI == the boundary to userspace?
      • Spivak 6y ago
        Yes but when people talk about kernel APIs not being stable they usually mean the APIs designed to be consumed by other kernel developers or kernel module authors.