FWD: Re: Bug#77307: debconf: debconf apparently shouldn't use /usr/bin/perl if it can't handle any alternatives
Whoops, wrong address.
----- Forwarded message from Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org> -----
From: Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2000 13:32:34 -0800
To: Lazarus Long <lazarus@overdue.dhis.net>, 77307-done@bugs.debian.org,
debian-port@lists.debian.org
Subject: Re: Bug#77307: debconf: debconf apparently shouldn't use /usr/bin/perl if it can't handle any alternatives
[ Why did you open a duplicate bug report? I am closing it. ]
Lazarus Long wrote:
> You should hardcode /usr/bin/perl5.6 if that's what you require, right?
Why should I? I depend on perl-5.6-base, which is the current version of
perl in debian. As such, it should be the default /usr/bin/perl. If this
invairent is not upheld, then every perl script in Debian must be
tested and made to work with every version of perl, which would be an
enourmous amount of work and will only stifle progress. If a program
depends on a given version of perl, declares that dependancy, and does
not get what it requires, then perl is broken.
This is not a new breakage, I have seen it for literally years, when perl's
alternatives get messed up, and some ancient perl version is made the default,
and scripts that people didn't even realize depended on newer versions
of perl begin breaking.
Luckily perl's maintainer has finally decided to do away with the
alternatives, so this misfeature of debian's perl is going to be fixed
properly soon.
> Since there IS an option for the admin to choose which perl is the
> default, (update-alternatives --config perl) then the admin's choice
> should "just work, period."
Again, you are requiring us to test and modify every perl script in all
of debian to make sure they work with all version of perl that debian
has packaged in the past 2 years. This is unreasonable.
> Why provide the admin with the option of setting an alternative if that's
> going to break everything on the box?
Exactly, that is why this alternative needs to go away.
--
see shy jo
----- End forwarded message -----
--
see shy jo
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