minor revision encoded in SONAME in libpython.so

[szager]

I'm wondering why the SONAME in libpython.so has a minor revision
encoded in it; for example (on Linux):

$ readelf -d libpython2.6.so | grep SONAME
0x0000000e (SONAME) Library soname:
[libpython2.6.so.1.0]

Because of this, if I compile an app against this library (with '-L/
usr/lib -lpython2.6), the compiled app has a dependency in this
precise minor revision of libpython2.6.so:

$ readelf -d myApp | grep libpython
0x0000000000000001 (NEEDED) Shared library:
[libpython2.6.so.1.0]

So, for example, if I upgrade to libpython2.6.so.1.1, my app will not
be able to run. I am currently having this problem while integrating
a piece of third-party software that uses an embedded python
interpreter.

This is unusual for libraries of this kind. Typically, the SONAME
will contain only the major revision, on the assumption that all the
minor revisions conform to the same public API, and are nominally
interchangeable. Am I to assume that minor version iterations have
incompatible API's?

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

 

[Martin v. Löwis]

So, for example, if I upgrade to libpython2.6.so.1.1

How do you do that? There won't ever be such a library. They
will always be called libpython2.6.so.1.0.

So no, no minor revision gets encoded into the SONAME.

Regards,
Martin

 

[szager]

How do you do that? There won't ever be such a library. They
will always be called libpython2.6.so.1.0.

So no, no minor revision gets encoded into the SONAME.

Then what's the significance of the .1.0 at the end of the SONAME? Is
it just nipples for men? (I hope no one objects to my extending the
Monty Python theme to Time Bandits).

 

[Martin v. Löwis]

So no, no minor revision gets encoded into the SONAME.

Then what's the significance of the .1.0 at the end of the SONAME? Is
it just nipples for men? (I hope no one objects to my extending the
Monty Python theme to Time Bandits).

Some systems require that shared libraries have a version in their
SONAME, so we provide a version.

Regards,
Martin