Client library compatibility

What is the link-time compatibility meant to be between Oracle client libraries on Unix platforms?

For example, if I've a binary built against 9.0.1, should I be able to use the 9.2 libclntsh.so at run time?

I'd assume "No, don't even go there", but developers are asking, since it happens to work well with AIX 9.0.1 to 9.2. However, it doesn't seem to work on other platforms.

There's also the follow-up question, if it's not meant to be compatible, then why doesn't Oracle give libraries a different version number? Both 9.0.1 and 9.2.0 have libraries called "libclntsh.so.9.0". The whole point of the version number in the library name is to indicate link-time compatibility, not to match some marketing release number.

-- 
Andrew Mobbs - http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~andrewm/