updating glibc

[michael baron (IAH-P)]

Hi,
I am running YDL 2.0, fairly vanilla 'developer' install, apart from a whole
lot of molecular biology software I have compiled and installed.

I would like to install a file manager (DFM), but it requires glibc>2.2.3,
and YDL 2.0 has only glibc 2.2.1. THE QUESTION is, of course, if I am going
to break my whole system by upgrading to a more recent version of glibc. If
I am going to have to update the entire distro, I think I might just leave
it.

I have found instructions for updating  glibc to 2.2.4-4h, along with gcc,
binutils and nscd, for YDL2.1 users, so this would appear to be an
interdependent group of packages, so I could easily update those.

Anyone done this, or know reasons why it is a Bad Idea? I am aware that
there were big changes in the early days of glibc, but surely new versions
should be backwards compatible at least a couple of changes at the third
version decimal?

Thanks for any advice in advance,

Michael


*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+
Michael D. Baron Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist
Institute for Animal Health
Ash Road,
Pirbright,
Surrey GU24 0NF,
U.K.