> you can solve ABI issues by simply compiling yourself
As much as I would love it to be, not all Linux software is open-source (or even source-available).
Especially in the (disgusting) world of enterprise software, ABI compatibility is crucial because the word "update" basically isn't in their vocabularies.
Recompiling isn't backwards compatibility. It's essentially an update.
Backwards compatibility implies it Just Works™.
We're talking about open-source software. And in most cases, open-source software is delivered and installed by source, and there's no such thing as an ABI issue in this case. Only API issues remain.
As much as I would love it to be, not all Linux software is open-source (or even source-available). Especially in the (disgusting) world of enterprise software, ABI compatibility is crucial because the word "update" basically isn't in their vocabularies. Recompiling isn't backwards compatibility. It's essentially an update. Backwards compatibility implies it Just Works™.