[CentOS] help with alternatives

Fri Feb 20 23:38:07 UTC 2009
German Andres Pulido <gpulido at gtscolombia.com>

>
> But second, if I was to configure it myself, the syntax is
>
> alternatives --install link name path priority    ... and other
> optional stuff
>
>
> Looking at other examples, I'm not clear on the difference between
> link and path in this command
>
> Thanks,
> Tony Schreiner
> Boston College
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> CentOS at centos.org
> http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos


For better understanding, try checking the manpage for alternatives:

man alternatives

However, the difference between link and path is that link is the file you 
want to use as command (for instance, /usr/bin/java), and path is the actual 
file that is executed by that command (for instance, /opt/jre/bin/java). Link 
will be a symlink to path. A better explained example is in this page:

http://www.mjmwired.net/resources/mjm-fedora-f7.html#java

Regards.