Re: Question about -dev thread "Introduction of app-alternatives/coreutils"

On 3/24/26 1:08 AM, Alexis wrote:
>
>
> which comes across to me as implying that the contributor's proposal 
> _would_ cause breakage, regardless of whether people wanted to switch 
> to using uutils or not.
>
>
> Alexis.
>
> [a] 
> https://archives.gentoo.org/gentoo-dev/CANQow5KPWC6bt0yg7QXw_xwKCYCjmdL=R1CGtQa7mUuA6OBgyQ@mail.gmail.com/
>


That is what I still can't figure out.  Why is a new package going to 
break a old package when the new package isn't installed??

Anyway, my understanding is this, which is limited for sure.  If you 
blindly do a emerge -uDN, during the process, emerge will emerge 
packages in parallel and coreutils will be in transition at some point.  
During that time, breakage can/will happen because cp and such is 
missing, renamed or something.  I get some of that but what I don't get, 
if I don't install that package, how does it do that? Is the package I'm 
currently using going to change itself because of the new package or what?

All those questions don't matter so no need to answer them.  I'm just 
pointing out the reason it is confusing.  It's like me putting power 
steering fluid in my power steering reservoir but my engine oil level 
changes too.  Other than being under the hood, one shouldn't affect the 
other despite both being a lubricant.  Best analogy I could come up with.

Maybe in the future they will have a better plan.  Have it set to where 
one can switch without affecting those who want to continue using the 
old tool.  I don't recall anything working like this in the past.  Some 
packages are tricky to upgrade but usually they only affect themselves, 
or things that depend on them.

Anyway, I'm going to rest easy now.  This may happen but maybe later 
when they work out some kinks.

Thanks to all.

Dale

:-)  :-)