> How did we get to the point where people feel they need to go to the length of embedding an ELF loader in their binary (!!) rather than just linking with glibc?

Most Linux distros have been built around the ability to compile their software together in a large repository, from source, so this was rarely ever an issue. Proprietary distribution or executing binaries from the internet like on Windows just wasn't really a common issue.

The problem arises when you start combining distros (glibc and MUSL for instance) or if you try to do the Windows model of sharing software. Historically, projects just compiled different versions for different distros.

When doing static compilation, just targetting an old version of glibc (which is generally forward compatible) also works.

You can hack your way into using software like this (or rather, have an LLM hack its way in) but I don't think any real distro actually cares. This issue exists in a quite small space where people are trying to use proprietary software built for glibc in MUSL environments for whatever reason, and the usual compatibility tricks don't work.

It's a niche use case for most Linux distros. It's not a "complete failure" of the GNU/Linux userland, it's the result of a couple of proprietary components not having MUSL builds available, or MUSL-based distributions not including libraries people want.

I'd like glibc to change so that these hacks aren't necessary for these use cases anymore, but it's not really a problem in practice for the vast majority of Linux use cases.