Changes/Use-Update-Alternatives-For-usr-bin-cc

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Use update-alternatives for /usr/bin/cc

Summary

Modify the gcc package so that the /usr/bin/cc and /usr/bin/c++ symlinks are managed by update-alternatives. This will allow users to

Owner

• Name: Tom Stellard
• Email: <tstellar@redhat.com>

Current status

• Targeted release: [[Releases/<number> | Fedora <number> ]]
• Last updated: 2019-12-10
• Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
• Release notes tracker: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>

Detailed Description

The gcc package currently installs symlinks to /usr/bin/cc and /usr/bin/c++ which point to /usr/bin/gcc and /usr/bin/g++ respectively. For this change, the gcc package will be modified so that the update-alternatives creates these symlinks.

In addition to modifying the gcc package, the clang package will also be modified so that /usr/bin/clang and /usr/bin/clang++ can be used as alternatives for /usr/bin/cc /usr/bin/c++. The clang alternatives will have a lower priority than the gcc alternatives, so that by default, gcc will provide the /usr/bin/cc and /usr/bin/c++ implementations.

The clang package currently has a run-time dependency on gcc, so this ensures that gcc will always provide the default implementation, because it's impossible to install clang without gcc.

The only way users will be able to change the /usr/bin/cc or /usr/bin/c++ implementations will be by explicitly making this change using the update-alternatives tool.

Scope

• Proposal owners:

• Other developers: N/A (not a System Wide Change)

• Release engineering: #Releng issue number (a check of an impact with Release Engineering is needed)

• Policies and guidelines: N/A (not a System Wide Change)

• Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)

Upgrade/compatibility impact

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

How To Test

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

Dependencies

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

Contingency Plan

• Contingency mechanism: (What to do? Who will do it?) N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change), Yes/No
• Blocks product? product

Documentation

N/A (not a System Wide Change)