I understand quite well how package management works in Ubuntu and
Debian. Over the past 5 years I've packed a number of Ruby projects
(such as Chef and its dependencies) for Debian and Ubuntu. I guess
that's why this problem irritates me so much: I thought we were finally
having progress to get sane Ruby versions as defaults.

Anyway, okay, my installation of `ruby2.0` means I have to run
`/usr/bin/ruby2.0`. Fine. The `update-alternatives` system isn't aware
of Ruby, and I have to make symlnks myself. Fine[0].

However, let me explain why I think this is still broken.

`ruby2.0` depends on `ruby`. `ruby` depends on `ruby1.9.1`. Thus,
`ruby2.0` depends on `ruby1.9.1`. This dependency graph is fundamentally
flawed: ruby2.0 does not in any way, shape, or form depend on ruby1.9.1.
Having two separate interpreters and stdlibs installed on the system at
one time, when only one was specifically requested for install is asking
for trouble.

I get that Ubuntu doesn't want to do the work to make /usr/bin/ruby ->
/usr/bin/ruby2.0, fine. But don't bring in the `ruby1.9.1` package when
I install `ruby2.0`. Debian fixed this. Why won't Ubuntu? Is it the
"DebianImportFreeze"? I think that's a lousy excuse. Other patches are
brought in (such as security fixes). Is it a "not enough
people/resource" issue? if Ubuntu doesn't have available resources to
ensure obvious user-facing bugs like this are fixed in the Ruby
interpreter for long term support releases, then I suggest that Ruby be
dropped from "main" (to universe, I guess?) and the reality of "you're
on your own" be made explicitly clear for any users who want to have
Ruby on Ubuntu.

[0]: https://gist.github.com/jtimberman/1c9cfee514644a04f9c2

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1310292

Title:
  installing `ruby2.0` results in ruby 1.9.3-p484 as default version

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