[arch-general] install packages using links?

[clemens fischer]

Andrei Thorp wrote:

> Well, as far as I can tell, the problem is that this requires the
> updating of the 4050 packages we have at the moment. All of them. By
> hand. For rather limited gain.

Well, you don't get it as far as I can tell.  As all paths stay the
same, _not one single package_ has to be updated.  That's what I mean
with "compatible".  "/usr/bin/file" is still "/usr/bin/file", but it
could be a symlink instead of a file.  Look at the .so libraries:

  /lib/libcap.so -> libcap.so.2
  /lib/libcap.so.2 -> libcap.so.2.16
  /lib/libcap.so.2.16

Programs are already doing this all the time:

  /bin/bunzip2 -> bzip2
  /bin/bzcat -> bzip2
  /bin/bzip2

The symlinking itself is obviously not a problem.  And having easier
package management is a big gain.  For many users, their linux
distribution is a kernel plus the packages they like. I for one can
appreciate not having to use "pacman" to find out what package some file
belongs to.  I even wrote my own wrapper giving it package globs just
because "pacman" doesn't have them everywhere, using "ls" and "find" for
some of the "-Q" and "-S" tasks would be a big plus IMO.


clemens