Re: 1.3 Installation Report

[Dale Scheetz <dwarf@polaris.net>]

On 30 May 1997, Mark Boyns wrote:

> 29 May 1997 dwarf@polaris.net writes:
> 
> > Actually Bruce, although the ae imposter is still included, it has been
> > superceded by a tiny version of elvis. The worst part of it is that this
> > version refuses to let other versions of vi execute after they have been
> > installed. I haven't had the time to look into it and figure out a work
> > around. I really hate it. It doesn't do word wrap and drops out of insert
> > mode at very surprising times. I have several reports that installations
> > of other vi packages are completely ignored and any call to vi continues
> > to give the crippled elvis version.
> 
> `dpkg -r tiny-elvis' followed by `dpkg -i nvi...' seems to work ok.
> 
While this gives access to nvi it doesn't also give access to tiny-elvis.
The problem is that tiny-elvis, nvi, and vim all use /etc/alternatives as
their method of obtaining access. However because tiny-elvis puts itself
in with a priority of 99, while nvi and vim only have priorities of 30 and
20, the result is that the only alternative possible is tiny-elvis. The
fix is to change tiny-elvis's priority to 10, so that either of the other
two packages can take over as top dog when they get installed. Under those
circumstances, when all three are installed the one that executes for the
command "vi" is nvi, but you can execute either of the other two by using
their explicit name, so "vim" will get you that program, as will
"tiny-elvis". Your method of removing the "offending" package also removes
it from possible use, while correct implementation of alternatives allows
all to live comfortably on the same system.

This is being fixed as we speak,

Dwarf
-- 
_-_-_-_-_-_-                                          _-_-_-_-_-_-_-

aka   Dale Scheetz                   Phone:   1 (904) 656-9769
      Flexible Software              11000 McCrackin Road
      e-mail:  dwarf@polaris.net     Tallahassee, FL  32308

_-_-_-_-_-_- If you don't see what you want, just ask _-_-_-_-_-_-_-


--
TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to
debian-user-request@lists.debian.org . 
Trouble?  e-mail to templin@bucknell.edu .