Paul Eggert wrote:
But how can zutils' "make install" know that the zcat it is about to rename is
from gzip instead of from a previous install of zutils?
zcat --version, surely.
This would open a can of worms. Among other things zcat may be (the
Filesystem Hierarchy Standard says it must be[1]) a link to gzip, which
may very well finish with a renamed gzip.
[1] http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=589222
"If the gunzip and zcat programs exist, they must be symbolic or hard
links to gzip."
BTW, I think the FHS is wrong in this point.
Moreover, I don't think distros would like a package that renames files from
other packages.
Yes, quite possibly that's true. But I don't see any other solution for
gzip 1.4 and earlier, and this is a problem that needs to be addressed
if you want to usurp the commands it installs.
IMHO this problem is already solved. Distros are already renaming the
commands, (and they will do it in a cleaner way as soon as you provide
them a clear hint), and people installing from source can rename them in
case they need to. Do you know of any GNU package renaming the Unix
commands it replaces?
I am not trying to usurp any commands. I am offering improved
replacements for those commands. It is gzip the one that is usurping
command names out of its command namespace. I am reclaiming the z* names
for multi-format commands like those in zutils, and am asking you to
(conditionally) rename the gzip-only scripts to gz* (or disable them)
because I think this is the right thing to do.
Best regards,
Antonio.
