[icebraining]

for static compilation, true. if required libraries were bundled with an app, you could replace that one in that location specific to that app and be done, assuming that the app didn't need any extra work done to it to support the new library.

But it'd still be up to the developer to update the library, no? Otherwise, how is that better than the current situation?

If it's a niche/minor app, and there's, say, a new version of libssl, if the author isn't making updates, there's no guarantee the app will work with an updated version of an upgraded shared library anyway.

But you don't have to upgrade the version of the library to release security updates: the Security team of Debian backports all security fixes to the library versions in Stable even if the upstream didn't, in order to prevent such breakage.

[DennisP]

The library developer updates the library, and if the app doesn't need changes to work with the new library version, he doesn't have to do anything. You could even automate finding all copies of the library and updating them...and keep prior versions around if something breaks.

To avoid relying on app developers at all, put apps in sandboxes where it appears that the libraries are where they've always been.