update-alternatives and dpkg

[Raul Miller <rdm@tad.micro.umn.edu>]

Historically, dpkg has dealt with multiple packages providing the same
package by overwritting the original, and removing the original
reference from the earlier package

More recently, I think we decided that it would be a good thing if
dpkg didn't delete the original package references, and wouldn't
remove the binary till all the original references were gone.

It just occured to me to wonder if perhaps the best mechanism to
implement this sort of policy wouldn't be update-alternatives?  [That
is, if multiple packages provide the same file this is automatically
treated as an instance of the update-alternatives mechanism, with a
minimal priority.]

I forget what update-alternatives currently does for the case where
two packages provide the same file at the same priority.

-- 
Raul