Bug#518696: GNU Parallel vs. moreutils

[Hans Schou <hans.schou@gmail.com>]

To George Zarkadas,

Regarding the package conflict between gnu parallel and moreutils parallel.

I am using gnu parallel on both Debian and Redhat and sometimes other
systems. It would be no help to me if there some day came a Debian gnu
parallel package named 'gparallel'. I would still have to install from
tar-ball or my own package.

I think there was one person suggesting to put moreutils parallel into
a package called moreutils-parallel and then remove it from the
moreutils package. I think that would be solution everyone could live
with. No-one would install both packages and if they want to switch it
is fairly simple.

It is really not very relevant to talk about which implementation is
the "newcomer" but it is actually moreutils parallel which is the new
one. At least it says here:
http://www.gnu.org/software/parallel/history.html

I think all the problems comes from that gnu parallel was not written
in C and the moreutils parallel has a lack of features and no one to
catch up on it. Not an easy thing to deal with.

Question: Is it possible to make a good solution in /etc/alternatives/ ?

best regards
Hans Schou