Re: Use of update-alternatives or JAVA_HOME (was: Experience in converting to GCJ)

[Matt Zimmerman <mdz@debian.org>]

On Mon, Aug 11, 2003 at 09:58:03PM +0200, Jan Schulz wrote:

> * Matt Zimmerman wrote:
> >JAVA_HOME seems silly in Debian, where we have alternatives to manage these
> >things.  I wish it would go away.
> 
> I do not!
> 
> The current update-alternatives system isn't working, when you don't
> have a way to prevent 'not fit to the work' /usr/bin/java to use it.
> 
> Curently my /usr/bin/java is assigned to the blackdown packages, but
> almost eveywhere else I use a more up2date jdk (all of them
> unfortunatelly not even managing u-a).

I don't understand.  What does JAVA_HOME provide that you cannot achieve
with alternatives, besides compatibility with programs which expect
JAVA_HOME (which is a truism)?

> What I would like to see:
> 
> * add a script/way to recognise/install/make known any installed
>   /bin/java, together with some rules/infos, what cpabilities this 
>   java has.
> * add a script to java-common, which returns a appropriated java, based on
>   . version and api needed
>   . user settings in JAVA_HOME

This is what update-alternatives does.

-- 
 - mdz