The atrocious state of binary compatibility on Linux and how to address it

The Atrocious State Of Binary Compatibility on Linux and How To Address It. By Dale Weiler GitHub Time To Read: ~30 Minutes Last Updated: Monday, March 17th 2025 Summary Linux binary compatibility is plagued by one thing that is often overlooked when evaluating shipping software on Linux. This article will deconstruct how to arrive to that conclusion, how to address it when shipping software today and what needs to be done to actually fix it. Table of contents Introduction At JangaFX, we make several products that run natively on Linux. We love the flexibility and power that Linux offers our developers, but shipping software on it is a whole different challenge. Linux is an incredibly powerful platform, but when it comes to shipping software, it can feel like a minefield. Unlike other operating systems, Linux isn’t just one system—it’s a chaotic mix of different services, libraries, and even philosophies. Every distribution does things a little differently, and that means the ... Read full article.