Why does Linux, unlike Windows, require a driver recompile after a kernel upgrade?

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assp1r1n32015-07-02 23:03:56

linux

assp1r1n3, 2015-07-02 23:03:56

Actually I was interested in this question quite recently, but I did not find answers. What changes in the kernel force users to compile drivers from time to time, and why is it not necessary to do this in Windows?

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4 answer(s)

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Nazar Mokrinsky, 2015-07-03
@assp1r1n3

In Linux, this is not always necessary, and this is not a problem, but the fact that the layer of interaction of proprietary graphics (for example) is automatically rebuilt when updating the kernel is because it was easier and more reliable for developers to do than to check what and where has changed from version to version .
In Windows, significant changes occur less often, but you don’t have a graphics driver from Windows XP on Windows 8, right? Here it is, updated from 4.0 to 4.1 - please rebuild the module, it's a new major version.

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Saboteur, 2015-07-02
@saboteur_kiev

For starters, you can't do this on Windows because it's proprietary and closed source.
And in Linux, you do not need to recompile the driver, but it is possible. Recompile because they CAN.

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Sergey, 2015-07-02
@zenden2k

Because the red-eyes are constantly changing the kernel API/ABI/X.org
linuxfonts.narod.ru/why.linux.is.not.ready.for.the...

D

Dvvarreyn, 2015-07-03
@Dvvarreyn

Because there are portable programs that drag all the dependencies and bikes with them, and there are non-portable programs that assume that all the necessary bikes are already in the system.
With changes in the system, non-portable ones require rebuilding (or installing old versions of system libraries, which is usually adb).
Portable is not required.
Both under Linux and under Windows, you can create both types of applications or the same drivers.
Due to the general openness of the platform and convenient systems for updating everything under Linux, non-portable ones are more common, they are easier (both in distribution and in operation) and without bicycles.
Under Windows, due to the closeness and lack of convenient systems for updating third-party applications when updating the system, they are partially portable.
But once again, both types of programs can be made for both systems, if desired / necessary.
The authors of proprietary drivers follow the trends of the system - they make partially portable drivers for Windows and non-portable for Linux.