The source-based Linux distros (Gentoo in my experience) do try to get better at keeping things working and moving forward when ABI breaks occur. Recompiling do

The source-based Linux distros (Gentoo in my experience) do try to get better at keeping things working and moving forward when ABI breaks occur. Recompiling downstream dependencies (FFIs, libraries/packages), keeping the old library/packages around until a new ones are available, and keeping track of breaks/automating fixes with versioning all happen when for example a new boost or qt version comes out. All of this automated by the package manager. Proprietary packages that require fixed ABIs from certain libraries have *-compat packages in the gentoo repos, and other distros have this too. Ultimately, it is about the APIs when you're compiling from source, a package that isn't using a new API is going to need the old library, and both might need to be compiled with and linked against the same toolchain. I think Linux and BSDs are closer than one might think here. Packaging and upstreams have both gotten better here over time I think, at least over the last couple of decades I've used Linux. I've only played around with the BSDs in VMs.