Probably an FAQ: GMP version vs. library version

This probably belongs in the FAQ section on the website: why
did GMP
library versions stick at 3 when GMP itself is at v4.2.x?

This trivial program

--- gmpver.c:

#include<stdio.h>
#include<gmp.h>

int main(void)
{
	printf("%sn",gmp_version);
}

gives me 4.2.1 (yay!)

gcc gmpver.c -lgmp -o gmpver

but a look at its linkage gives me:

ldd ./gmpver
        linux-gate.so.1 =>  (0xffffe000)
        libgmp.so.3 => /usr/local/lib/libgmp.so.3
(0xb7fa6000) <--- three? Why?
        libc.so.6 => /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6
(0xb7e77000)
        /lib/ld-linux.so.2 (0xb7fde000)

Is this just an artefact of dependency hell? I can see this
disparity
confusing a lot of newbies.

-- 
David Gillies
San Jose
Costa Rica
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Hello,

* David Gillies [Wed, Apr 04, 2007 at 12:12:01AM -0600]:
> This probably belongs in the FAQ section on the
website: why did GMP
> library versions stick at 3 when GMP itself is at
v4.2.x?

That's because they correspond to different concepts. The
library
version denotes a compatibility in the function interface
which can
stay the same when the internals of each function change a
lot (and
hence, the "global" version number is increased).

I'm not sure it needs a FAQ item as those who should be
concerned
about this discrepancy are the same who should know that it
does not
matter.

Laurent.
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On Wed, 2007-04-04 at 10:57, Laurent Fousse wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> * David Gillies [Wed, Apr 04, 2007 at 12:12:01AM
-0600]:
> > This probably belongs in the FAQ section on the
website: why did GMP
> > library versions stick at 3 when GMP itself is at
v4.2.x?
> 
> That's because they correspond to different concepts.
The library
> version denotes a compatibility in the function
interface which can
> stay the same when the internals of each function
change a lot (and
> hence, the "global" version number is
increased).
> 
> I'm not sure it needs a FAQ item as those who should be
concerned
> about this discrepancy are the same who should know
that it does not
> matter.

I suggest it should be a FAQ item for exactly the reason you
give for
why it should not.

Those who have a justified concern about the discrepancy
already know
the answer (or should do) but those likely not to know the
answer should
be educated before they ask anyone else.  In particular,
they should
learn that it doesn't matter for the most part and, more
importantly,
*why* it doesn't matter.


Paul


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