On Tue, Feb 16, 2021 at 04:38:06PM -0600, David Wright wrote: > On Tue 16 Feb 2021 at 17:48:25 (+0800), Kevin Shell wrote: > [...] > > Isn't Debian already has a /etc/alternatives/ mechanism? > > AIUI all the targets of /etc/alternatives are all installed at the > same time, and can be simultaneously run without conflicting with > each other. The links merely select which target is run (and > documented) by invoking a name, like "www-browser" (→ lynx for me), > "awk" (gawk) or "rename" (the Perl one). I might be running firefox, > mawk and rename.ul (by their specific name) at the same time as the > "default" versions. >
I asked this question because on my laptop there's an alternatives system that can keep several programs providing the same or similar functions at the same time. Debian also has an alternatives system but doesn't allowed to install multiple MTAs. https://github.com/fedora-sysv/chkconfig/blob/master/alternatives.c $ dnf info alternatives Name : alternatives Summary : A tool to maintain symbolic links determining default commands URL : https://github.com/fedora-sysv/chkconfig License : GPLv2 Description : alternatives creates, removes, maintains and displays information about : the symbolic links comprising the alternatives system. It is possible : for several programs fulfilling the same or similar functions to be : installed on a single system at the same time. -- kevin