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From: Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: comp.unix.shell
Subject: Re: Soft-links to binaries (was Re: Default PATH setting)
Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2025 10:59:48 -0800
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Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> writes:
[...]
> BTW, for something (not) completely different [concerning links]...
>
> There's certainly someone who can explain (beyond versioning) deep
> linking chains like
>
> /usr/bin/vi      -> /etc/alternatives/vi      -> /usr/bin/vim.gnome
> /usr/bin/vim     -> /etc/alternatives/vim     -> /usr/bin/vim.gnome
> /usr/bin/gvim    -> /etc/alternatives/gvim    -> /usr/bin/vim.gnome
> /usr/bin/vimdiff -> /etc/alternatives/vimdiff -> /usr/bin/vim.gnome
> /usr/bin/vim.gnome
> /usr/bin/vim.tiny
> /usr/bin/vimtutor
> /usr/bin/vimdot
>
> or even deeper chains like
>
> /usr/bin/emacs -> /etc/alternatives/emacs -> /usr/bin/emacs22 ->
> /etc/alternatives/emacs22 -> /usr/bin/emacs22-x
>
> (There's a bunch of things in /etc/alternatives, like *.gz and *.so
> items.)
[...]

"man update-alternatives"

It's provided by "dpkg".  If you're curious and you're not on a
Debian-based system, do a web search for "man update-alternatives".

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com
void Void(void) { Void(); } /* The recursive call of the void */