How can I compile C on Linux that will work on any distro?

Question

If I compile a self-contained project with gcc and statically link the C run-time library, will this work on any Linux distro? I don't care about any static link disadvantages (such as big file size) so long as it works. It is a closed-source project and this is beyond my control. The architecture of the PCs is the same.

Answer 1

If you can guarantee that all of the code it will execute is self-contained in the binary you ship, then theoretically (emphasis on theoretically) it should work on any linux distribution. In this process there are an enormous number of pitfalls. My personal opinion is that it is pretty much impossible to make this work due to changing interfaces across versions. Interfacing with other libraries is a fragile nightmare.

Most companies that I'm familiar with (including my own) produce builds made for different distributions. There are some complications that result from having to make a build for SLES, Redhat, etc., but I'm confident that providing a few different builds ultimately is simpler and causes less problems than attempting to statically link everything.