Re: Solved: update-alternatives -- changing preferences
kmself@ix.netcom.com said: rant That's the option which the manpage, in its verbosity, fails to make clear. Ok, there is a paragraph buried at the end of the DESCRIPTION section, but it's a bit buried. Examples here would be very useful. /rant I get the distinct impression that, because --config ignores the priority ratings, it's considered to be an 'inferior' way of handling things. I suspect that this bias against it is the reason that it is glossed over in the documentation. I also suspect that, since it's the only way to be sure that your preferences will never be changed by the installation of a new package, it's the way that most people would prefer to have their systems operate. I agree about the examples, though. The --install option, in particular, could stand to both be better documented (even just adding a sentence to the effect that --install is also used to change the details of existing options, not only to add new ones.) and have an example or two presented (typical usage appears to require passing two consecutive parameters with the same value, which seems like the wrong thing to do - might this be a design flaw?). I also suspect that --display claiming status is auto after --config has been used to force a certain option (a decidedly _non_-automatic mode of operation) should be considered a bug. -- Two words: Windows survives. - Craig Mundie, Microsoft senior strategist So does syphillis. Good thing we have penicillin. - Matthew Alton Geek Code 3.1: GCS d- s+: a- C++ UL++$ P L+++ E- W--(++) N+ o+ !K w---$ O M- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t 5++ X+ R++ tv b+ DI D G e* h+ r++ y+
Solved: update-alternatives -- changing preferences
On Tue, Aug 08, 2000 at 11:06:57AM -0500, Dave Sherohman wrote: kmself@ix.netcom.com said: The above will add emacs into the list of available alternatives for editor. By what divers black majik a particular application is chosen I'm not sure. Despite the claim at the top of --display's output, auto appears to be an action rather than a state. When you execute `update-alternatives --auto name`, the highest priority option is assigned to the link (in the case of a tie, the first item listed with the highest priority is chosen, IIRC). However, this automatic selection can be overridden with `update-alternatives --config name` to force a specific option - yet it continues to claim status is auto. ...what is the correct way to have wmaker be Current 'best' version? The easy way would be update-alternatives --config x-window-manager and select wmaker from the list to be your default. THANK you, Dave! That's exactly what I was looking for. rant That's the option which the manpage, in its verbosity, fails to make clear. Ok, there is a paragraph buried at the end of the DESCRIPTION section, but it's a bit buried. Examples here would be very useful. /rant -- Karsten M. Self kmself@ix.netcom.com http://www.netcom.com/~kmself Evangelist, Opensales, Inc.http://www.opensales.org What part of Gestalt don't you understand? Debian GNU/Linux rocks! http://gestalt-system.sourceforge.net/K5: http://www.kuro5hin.org GPG fingerprint: F932 8B25 5FDD 2528 D595 DC61 3847 889F 55F2 B9B0 pgpqXdHXVmX34.pgp Description: PGP signature
