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Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives?

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On 09/16/2016 10:29 AM, The Wanderer wrote:
> On 2016-09-16 at 10:10, Tony Baldwin wrote:
>
>> I'm having another headache...
>>
>> I want to make Icedove the default mail client.
>> I had this done on the last Jessie system I had (on a now defunct hdd).
>> But I can't recall how I did it, if it was with update-alternative or
>> some other means..
>> And something that's been bothering me for a while is:
>> I can't seem to find or figure out how to list all the alternatives I
>> can manage with update-alternatives.
>> I mean, I can get a list for a particular item, like x-www-browser or
>> editor, but I want a list of all those possible things to update
>> (x-www-browser, editor, etc.)
>> Is there such a list somewhere?
>
> From the man page,
>
> update-alternatives --get-selections
>
> looks like it should do what you want, at least as far as alternative
> groups currently present on the system. (Naturally, because any package
> can add a new link group - or the administrator can do it manually, if
> desired - nothing can provide a list of every possible link group which
> could exist.)
>
> I don't see any obvious sign of a generic "mail client" link group
> listed there, though.
>

My apologies to the Wanderer, who will now be seeing this twice, as I 
mistakenly replied to him off-list... (keep forgetting to use reply-list)

Indeed:
# update-alternatives --get-selections | grep mail
mailx                          auto     /usr/bin/bsd-mailx

but also:
# update-alternatives --config mailx
There is only one alternative in link group mailx (providing 
/usr/bin/mailx): /usr/bin/bsd-mailx
Nothing to configure.


it seems it won't let me set a mail client

I should probably mention that I'm using chromium as my browser; getting 
firefox or iceweasel to use icedove is like falling off a log it's so easy.
I had it working on the Jessie on an hdd that just died on me 
(thankfully not until I'd downloaded and made an install disk to install 
on the other hdd, which I'm using now.)
But in my old age, I can't remember for the life of me how I did it.
I don't believe it was with update-alternatives.
I think I edited some config file somewhere, but for the life of me, I 
can't recall where.

thanks,
Tony


-- 
http://tonybaldwin.me
all tony, all the time

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update-alternatives, list alternatives? Tony Baldwin <tonybaldwin@gmx.com> - 2016-09-16 16:20 +0200
  Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives? The Wanderer <wanderer@fastmail.fm> - 2016-09-16 16:40 +0200
    Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives? Tony Baldwin <tonybaldwin@gmx.com> - 2016-09-16 17:00 +0200
      Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives? The Wanderer <wanderer@fastmail.fm> - 2016-09-16 17:10 +0200
      Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives? Greg Wooledge <wooledg@eeg.ccf.org> - 2016-09-16 17:50 +0200
      Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives? Ric Moore <wayward4now@gmail.com> - 2016-09-17 00:30 +0200
        Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives? Tony Baldwin <tonybaldwin@gmx.com> - 2016-09-17 01:00 +0200
          Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives? Anthony Baldwin <baldwinlinguas@gmx.com> - 2016-09-17 01:30 +0200
          Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives? Ric Moore <wayward4now@gmail.com> - 2016-09-17 04:40 +0200
    Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives? Tony Baldwin <tonybaldwin@gmx.com> - 2016-09-16 21:20 +0200
      Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives? Anthony Baldwin <baldwinlinguas@gmx.com> - 2016-09-16 23:10 +0200
        Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives? Dutch Ingraham <stoa@gmx.us> - 2016-09-16 23:50 +0200
      Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives? Liam O'Toole <liam.p.otoole@gmail.com> - 2016-09-17 00:50 +0200
        Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives? Tony Baldwin <tonybaldwin@gmx.com> - 2016-09-17 01:00 +0200
          Re: update-alternatives, list alternatives? Dutch Ingraham <stoa@gmx.us> - 2016-09-17 01:10 +0200

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