At 20:42 1996-02-29, Bruce Perens wrote: >> (b) Is there a way to create, say, an `emacs-local' package that >> conflicts with `emacs'? Could I make `emacs' a virtual package? Or >> should I just keep calling it `emacs' and use a different version? >> (Emacs is just an example; more likely I'd be replacing /bin/login >> or inetd or other system software.) > >If your changes add something to the system, please feed them back to the >package maintainers (and upstream program maintainers) so that they get >integrated into the mainstream.
Of course I will, but there are at least two cases where I'd want to override a standard package with a local one: 1. I apply a useful patch (original or not) which I want to deploy before the next Debian release. 2. I want to use non-default compile-time settings; for example, to strip out features for security. Apparently to replace a single file I can "redirect" the old one, but this means that the replacement cannot be under dpkg control. -- Shields, CrossLink.
