I think the difference is that since libraries do not specify version ranges, you must manually override their choices to find a compatible set of dependencies.

I think the difference is that since libraries do not specify version ranges, you must manually override their choices to find a compatible set of dependencies. The solution is version ranges, but this then necessitates lockfiles, to avoid the problem of uncontrolled upgrades. That said, there's an option that uses version ranges, and avoids nondeterminism without lockfiles: https://matklad.github.io/2024/12/24/minimal-version-selection-revisited.html#Moloch-the-Lockless https://matklad.github.io/2024/12/24/minimal-version-selecti.... Note: maven technically allows version ranges, but they're rarely used.