ATI video comes out of the closet

[Mikkel L. Ellertson]

Les Mikesell wrote:
> 
> Well, what I really want is the ability to have more than one version of
> an application on my machine at a time so I can test the cutting edge
> version and take advantage of its features while being able to fall back
> to the old reliable release as needed, but that seems to be way too much
> to ask from the rpm/yum school of thought, particularly if they blindly
> track the FHS committee's arbitrary ideas about where files have to
> live.   But, an application crash once in a while is easier to tolerate
> than not booting after an update, and I don't think it is unreasonable
> to want a stable kernel AND current apps.  Firefox 2.x might still have
> a few bugs, but it probably won't crash my machine.
> 
Hmm - "blindly track the FHS committee's arbitrary ideas" - that is
a strange way to phrase following a standard.

As far as having more then one version of an application installed
at a time, I can just picture the problems that would cause most
users. It can be done with RPM, but you have to know what you are
doing. It should not be something a package manager like yum should
do. I could see having a plugin to yum that would allow it.
Relocatable packages, and using the blindly --prefix or --relocate
options of rpm. Then manage the applications with alternatives. But
it is not something i would be willing to implement. If you want
that option, you are probably going to have to implement it
yourself, or pay someone to do it for you. But at least you have
that option.

You can ignore the package manager all together, and install one
version in the /usr/local or /opt tree after compiling it yourself.
You will have to give the full path in menu entries, but you will
want to build custom menu items for each version so you know what
version you are running. You could also build an RPM for each
version, but customize the .spec file so it ends up where you want.
For some packages, it is as simple as changing the Prefix value.

Mikkel
-- 

  Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for thou art crunchy and taste good with Ketchup!

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