Re:Debian 11
by robertlagrant on Saturday August 14, 2021 @05:49PM
(#28184206)
This is why I like nvm/pyenv. Available versions should be managed via a tool, not by the system.
This is why I like Nix. The tool should be the system.
Re:Debian 11
by SkyMarshal on Sunday August 15, 2021 @11:51AM
(#28189729)
Sure, if your tool is aware of its own versions and can do that, that should be the preference over most systems, Nix/NixOS/GUIX excepted. But it's nice for traditional systems like Debian to be able to do it too, for tools that can't.
https://wiki.debian.org/DebianAlternatives
Once setup, one command can toggle between your version and the Debian repo version as the system default.
DA is great, I used it for years on Ubuntu to override Debian's older default versions, or to install anything I wanted to build from source.
I eventually migrated over to NixOS because, in a way, NixOS takes the concept of Debian Alternatives and applies it to the entire OS.