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Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:47:13 -0500
From: Eric van Gyzen <eric@vangyzen.net>
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To: Doug Barton <dougb@FreeBSD.org>
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Cc: Adrian Chadd <adrian@freebsd.org>,
	Oleg Moskalenko <oleg.moskalenko@citrix.com>, freebsd-current@freebsd.org,
	Jonathan Anderson <jonathan.anderson@cl.cam.ac.uk>,
	Gabor Kovesdan <gabor@freebsd.org>, freebsd-ports@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: CFT: new BSD-licensed sort available
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On 03/16/2012 08:25 PM, Doug Barton wrote:
> On 03/14/2012 15:14, Jonathan Anderson wrote:
>> In fact, the runtime behaviour of the Debian "alternatives" system is simpler than that:
>> http://segfault.in/2010/04/using-the-debian-alternatives-system/
[...]
> This sounds like a good solution to more than one problem. Does anyone
> know why they indirect through 2 sets of symlinks? That article doesn't
> touch on the "why?" only the what.

Do you mean, why do they do
	/usr/bin/vim -> /etc/alternatives/vim -> /usr/bin/vim.gtk
instead of
	/usr/bin/vim -> /usr/bin/vim.gtk
?

Someone's choice of a vi-like editor would be considered configuration, 
so it belongs in /etc.

I agree, it does sound like a good solution.  As simple as possible, but 
no less.  ;)

Eric