I'm starting to see more ports that install the same binary or file, such as
PyQt3 and PyQt4, py-pil and py25-pil, python24 and python25, xemacs and emacs,
etc. These prevent simultaneous installs of these packages.
MacPorts needs a alternative system so that multiple ports can be installed that
provide the same file.
Debian systems have a system, call alternatives. Take java, which is provided
by 5 or so different packages. There's /usr/bin/java which is a symlink to
/etc/alternatives/java which is then a symlink to the real java,
/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun/jre/bin/java on my system. There's a
update-alternatives binary which is used to update these symlinks.
http://blog.stevenkroon.com/2006/08/29/debian-update-alternatives/
We need this for MacPorts. If we don't come up with a MacPorts solution, then
each package that has a conflict will either result in 1) the author not
bothering to allow simultaneous installs, which is the easy route or 2) bake
their own solution, such as gcc_select and python_select. The solution for
MacPorts should be general enough to subsume gcc_select and python_select,
allowing those scripts to become wrappers around MacPort's alternatives.
It's probably late for GSoC, but this would be a great project.
Blair
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