> As a gentoo user I would say that the ABI break may still worth it if it can enable a lot of application continuing to work with just a recompile, right?
Yes, just a recompile in all the cases we've really discussed. However, if we can break ABI in minor releases, we have contemplated the idea of installing private headers to allow developers to "do wtf they want" with a I_KNOW_WHAT_IM_DOING #define or something.
But the important thing, is to test the software!
> The controversial around this plan origins from people's inability to understand why such a fundamental library like gtk+ needs to have api break for such a high frequency, which would have a huge impact on the experience of app devs and users? The world has its intrinsic complications, but we all hope to avoid the casual one.
That is the thing. We are a very small team of mostly part time contributors trying to build a toolkit that competes with the big players, who have teams the size of hundreds. There is a lot of work to do, with an insane cadence required.
I don't think this isn't really any different than choosing your target device version for say, iOS, Android, or macOS. They likely are likely breaking subtle things in-between major releases too, but you can either 1) lock to a version or 2) upgrade and fix-the-world.