I am curious to know whether it would be possible to have two or more version of a given package exist compatibly and have the alternatives tool be able to pick one.
REASON. Sometimes the features of one version are so annoying that one isn't interested in the `newer' version. I suppose most people's answer would be: put the older version in /usr/local? One problem with having multiple version of a given package is the fact that common filenames would exist. How to resolve this? I see one solution: Put the files of a package in its own directory and then add links via the alternatives tool into /usr/bin/ /bin/ etc. It would also be convenient if the individual user could control what version he has access to by creating his own internal alternatives link tree. The ability to put links into /usr/bin /bin would al least preserve the FHS... So to summarize: Ability to install multiple version of a given package Individual user access to alternatives functionality Some consequences: ================= How would apt figure out to update or upgrade packages... presumably it would simply offer to install the latest version without interfering with the version you have on the system...you could also perhaps choose to upgrade existing versions... This brings up an obvious problem that people would be forced to maintain more than one version.... Also is it possible for the alternatives package to work for the user. Obviously the user could use aliases if he/she wanted to use a particular editor but it might be nice to have the alternatives tool not just work on a single system but on a per user basis. I suppose the notion of having multiple version would run up again the the upgrading behaviour of apt... it also demonstrates the the problem with having binaries in places like /usr/bin /bin rather than having a separate directory for each package and then adding links to the standard place like /usr/bin /bin.... in this way the filesystem standard could be upheld...which is, I assume, how alternatives avoids violating the FHS. Comments? -walter
