README for TDEAlternatives ------------------------ TDEAlternatives is a TDE program that a allows you to easily configure and change your Mandrake/Debian alternatives system. What is the Mandrake/Debian Alternatives System? ---------------------------------------- The Mandrake/Debian alternatives system is designed to allow the system administrator to select an alternative when there are several options that provide the same file or functionality. For example, there are several different packages on Mandrake/Debian that provide the command "vi" (the standard POSIX text editor) and Mandrake/Debian (and other distributions using this same system as Mandrake Linux) allows you to have more than one option installed (for example, to satisfy the needs for different users on a multiuser system). But, how does Mandrake/Debian knows which of the installed programs must be run when "vi" is entered on a shell? The answer is: using the alternatives system. This system keeps a database of provided alternatives for every option on /var/lib/dpkg/alternatives and a collection of links on /etc/alternatives that point to the real program. So, if your default version of "vi" is "vim", the link /usr/bin/vi will point to /etc/alternatives/vi that points to /usr/bin/vim. But if in the future you would like to change /usr/bin/vi to point to the nvi executable you could: 1. Change the link on /etc/alternatives/vi by hand. 2. Use the Mandrake/Debian command update-alternatives --config vi 3. Use TDEAlternatives. How is the program used? ------------------------ The program should be very simple to use; once executed (as root) you will be presented with a window showing a list where there are entries with yellow squares and subentries bellow them. The entries are "nodes", that is, programs that can have one or more alternative packages providing them and the subentries are the alternatives. You can select one alternative just by clicking on the radiobutton to the left of his name and pushing the "Apply" button. Then you will be presented with a dialog showing you the changes to be made and allowing you to confirm them before really changing the alternatives. Please note that some "nodes" only have one alternative because there are no more packages installed providing it and some alternatives are disabled (you will be unable to click on them). This last case is because the alternative exists in the database but the link to it is broken. This sometimes happends with unclean packages uninstallations and usually is not something to worry about. Who do I have to whine if the program fails for me? -------------------------------------------------- To Juanjo Álvarez What is the TDE-Mandrake/Debian project? ------------------------------- The TDE-Debian project is composed of some individuals, actively supported by some companies, trying to provide Debian and Debian based distributions with a collection of first-class, updated TDE desktop including some TDE applications specifically designed for Debian.