Runtime installation and compatibility (C++)

[TomDavies_Ferrari]

Hi

I'd like to ask a question about the way the runtime libaries work for the Intel C++ compiler, when we are building our code using MD, ie linking dynamically to the runtime. 

I've been building using the latest version of the Intel 2025 C++ compiler, but when testing on a machine which has got an older version of the runtime installed (2023.2.1) (from here https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/articles/tool/compilers-redistributable-libraries-by-version.html), the program still ran ok.

Installing 2024 editions of the runtime seemed to install alongside 2023 versions, but installing the 2025  runtime seems to overrwrite the 2024 version. 

Nonetheless, in all cases, the program ran.

This is in contrast to MSVC where the different version of the runtime library are not compatible, and having the correct version of the runtime is strictly enforced, and different versions can be happily be installed alongside each each other on the same machine.

What's the recommended practise for handling the runtimes on Intel? Are the latest runtimes always backwards compatible with older ones?

[Viet_H_Intel]

Yes, Intel runtimes are backwards compatible with the older one.

I've been building using the latest version of the Intel 2025 C++ compiler, but when testing on a machine which has got an older version of the runtime installed (2023.2.1) the program still ran ok.

The program may still run, but in some other cases it may not. It is recommended to use the runtime that either same version of the compiler you compiled your program with or newer ones.