Re: new mailx should have lower version number

[richard@elmail.co.uk (Richard Kettlewell)]

>>Now the problem is: How will dpkg find out that this lower version
>>number should overwrite the higher one ?
>
>3. Add an `epoch' to the version number, either as a separate control
>file field, or as a prefix to the existing version number (I prefer
>the latter, I think - prehaps [<epoch>:]<version>[-<revison>], since
>colons don't seem to have been used in version numbers so far).  This
>wouldn't necessarily be displayed by dpkg all the time, but would
>allow you to `forget' about old version numbers by increasing the
>epoch.
>
>Comments on the merits of the proposals above, and additional
>proposals, would be welcome.

I think this third suggestion is the best; possibly having the epoch
as a separate control file field entirely, thus avoiding arguments
about parsing version numbers...

-- 
Richard Kettlewell
richard@elmail.co.uk                    http://www.elmail.co.uk/staff/richard/