Re: Bug#548917: Please use alternatives system to manage the ruby symlink

[akira yamada / ?????? <akira@debian.org>]

Hi,

> The existing ruby package simply sticks a symlink into /usr/bin/ruby
> to point to ruby1.8. I was surprised to find that this was not
> using the alternatives system, so that you can manage this yourself.

I have a rough idea about ruby* packages.

ruby package:
  now:
    provides /usr/bin/ruby file
    depends on ruby1.8 package
  new:
    does not provides /usr/bin/ruby* file
    depends on latest version of ruby* packages
      (for current testing: Depends: ruby1.9.1 | ruby1.8 | jruby1.1 | ...
       for after squeeze?:  Depends: ruby1.9.2 | jruby1.2 | ...)
    (description points out latest version of ruby* packges)

ruby1.8 package:
  now:
    provides /usr/bin/ruby1.8 file
    no alternatives
  new:
    provides /usr/bin/ruby1.8 file (no change)
    alternatives for /usr/bin/ruby

ruby1.9 package:
  now:
    provides /usr/bin/ruby1.9 file
    no alternatives
  new:
    provides /usr/bin/ruby1.9.0 file
    alternatives for /usr/bin/ruby/1.9 and /usr/bin/ruby

ruby1.9.1 package:
  now:
    provides /usr/bin/ruby1.9.1 file
    no alternatives
  new:
    provides /usr/bin/ruby1.9.1 file (no change)
    alternatives for /usr/bin/ruby1.9 and /usr/bin/ruby

I think that packages using Ruby language
should not use /usr/bin/ruby in the above package design.
(Users can use them freely of course.)


Note: there are some software that
don't depend on specified version/variant of Ruby.
So it may be better to provide symlinks
such as /usr/bin/ruby-compat-<compat-level>
for compatibility.
(Here comapt-level is "1.9.1" for Ruby 1.9.1 and 1.9.2.)


Note2:
I know that lucas have a new policy plan.
And I think that we should have more time to discuss about it.
During that time we should have small and minor update about current policy.
I think the above idea is part of such minor updates.

-- 
ay