Re: Integrating local changes

[shields@crosslink.net (Michael Shields)]

At 20:42 1996-02-29, Bruce Perens wrote:
>> (b) Is there a way to create, say, an `emacs-local' package that
>>     conflicts with `emacs'?  Could I make `emacs' a virtual package?  Or
>>     should I just keep calling it `emacs' and use a different version?
>>     (Emacs is just an example; more likely I'd be replacing /bin/login
>>     or inetd or other system software.)
>
>If your changes add something to the system, please feed them back to the
>package maintainers (and upstream program maintainers) so that they get
>integrated into the mainstream.

Of course I will, but there are at least two cases where I'd want to
override a standard package with a local one:

1. I apply a useful patch (original or not) which I want to deploy before
the next Debian release.

2. I want to use non-default compile-time settings; for example, to strip
out features for security.

Apparently to replace a single file I can "redirect" the old one, but this
means that the replacement cannot be under dpkg control.

--
Shields, CrossLink.