Installing multiple versions of a package is a solved problem. SVR4 has done it forever.
Upgrading packages in an environment with multiple versions is less solved, but seems solvable. Actually *using* multiple versions of packages with non-trivial dependencies is quite another matter. I suspect it's solvable only in the extreme cases where either (a) you can assume that newer versions are completely compatible, or (b) you assume that newer versions are *never* compatible. Assuming that newer versions are never compatible is relatively easy, but it will tend to mean that applications will drag around copies of their favorite versions of components that they depend on. The situation gets worse when you consider components that require exclusive use of some resource. In general, you can't have two mail servers, because only one can listen on port 25. The "what does /usr/bin/python get you" question is not a packaging question. It's a "how do you *use* multiple versions" question. Venky wrote: > On Fri, Jun 13, 2008 at 02:36:24PM +0200, Alexander Vlasov wrote: >>> IPS doesn't support installing different versions of the >>> same package at the same time. >>> >>> - Bart >>> >> Guys, you're talking about problems solved for ages. >> May I ask developers to look at already existing solutions? >> Please take a look how this problem solved in Debian. > > And in Portage: > http://devmanual.gentoo.org/general-concepts/slotting/index.html > > Venky. > _______________________________________________ > pkg-discuss mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.opensolaris.org/mailman/listinfo/pkg-discuss > _______________________________________________ pkg-discuss mailing list [email protected] http://mail.opensolaris.org/mailman/listinfo/pkg-discuss
