Re: 2 versions of some packages
> > Well, I'm not sure that installing the most recent one is the right
> > answer. Take ghostscript for example. There's the GNU version in
> > .../text and the Aladdin version in .../non-free. Now the GNU version
> > should always be <= the Aladdin version since GNU repackages the
> > Aladdin version after it's been out for a while. People who want an
> > all free software machine may prefer the GNU version even if it's
> > older.
>
> If they do want that, they just don't select the non-free one. Then the
> GNU version will get installed. Or even easier, if they want just free
> software, they don't select the non-free section and then they never even
> *see* the non-free ghostscript 4.01.
Right. This is exactly what 'dftp' allows. It brings up all packages
that it finds and allows the user to choose what to do. If 'dftp'
brings up two instances of ghostscript, the user just selects one
and/or deselects the other.
> > I think that it might make more sense to just disallow two packages
> > with the same name in a given Debian package tree. In this case I
> > think we should have a virtual ghostscript package provided by both
> > gs-aladdin and gs-gnu, or whatever. Then no one gets confused about
> > what you mean.
>
> Huh? By 'given package tree' you mean 'non-free' vs 'stable/unstable' vs
> 'contrib', don't you? Then there is no problem. because ghostscript 4.01
> is in non-free and ghostscript 3.something in in unstable.
I agree. As long as dpkg will never install more than over version of
a given package (it would at one point), the current solution is fine.
> I still don't see a problem... Unless the problem is that dftp makes no
> distinction between the different sections (i.e. doesn't allow people to
> distinguish between non-free, unstable and contrib)... but that would be a
> problem with dftp, IMO.
It does make the distinction, though it may not be immediately obvious.
Because the full path to the package is listed, the first component of
that path is the distribution under which it was found (i.e. stable,
unstable, contrib, non-free).
Brian
( bcwhite@verisim.com )
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