Re: Zutils vs single compressor utilities

[Antonio Diaz Diaz]

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.