Re: conflicts in Debian Distributions
>
> It should be easier for "normal" packages (without daemons, inetd.conf
> enties etc.) to have two conflicting packages installed. For example,
> I'd like to have gs-alladin and gs installed in parallel; gs-alladin
> for it's pdf support, and gs for it's better Epson Stylus Color driver.
> But it is not possible because both binaries are named "gs".
>
> What about an option to install binaries under different hierarchies,
> for example one under /usr/bin, /usr/lib, /usr/doc etc. with config
> files in /etc and variable data; others under /opt/bin, /opt/lib,
> /opt/doc, /etc/opt, /var/opt. For binary packages, this look difficult
> because of many binaries having hardcoded paths in it. But for source
> code packages, it should be possible.
>
Debian already has a mechanism to do this: the /etc/alternatives
directory. A quote from the debian-faq (available as an info file,
probably installed on your machine):
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Debian provides a mechanism so that, if more than one package which
provide the same virtual package is installed on a system, then system
administrators can set one as the preferred package. The relevant command
is update-alternatives, and is described further in the section on
diversions (11.8).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
See also man update-alternatives. If you feel that some packages that
currently conflict should use the alternatives mechanism instead, file a
wish-list item to the bug-report system and see what happens.
HTH,
Eric
--
E.L. Meijer (tgakem@chem.tue.nl) | tel. office +31 40 2472189
Eindhoven Univ. of Technology | tel. lab. +31 40 2475032
Lab. for Catalysis and Inorg. Chem. (TAK) | tel. fax +31 40 2455054
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