[Pkg-gmagick-im-team] Bug#906674: consequences to deleting a (generic name) alternative? - reverse dependencies on ImageMagick binaries?

[Zenaan Harkness]

ImageMagick (IM) seems to be needed (at least on XFCE desktop) for
the PDF printer (cups-filters). There are many apparent rdepends of
IM, from a2ps and devede to inkscape and sunclock.

ImageMagick in Debian stable is a bit of a bush pig, dominating the
/usr/bin default PATH namespace with a number of excessively generic
verbs.

Although the files are apparently strictly versioned:

/usr/bin/animate-im6.q16
/usr/bin/compare-im6.q16
/usr/bin/composite-im6.q16
/usr/bin/conjure-im6.q16
/usr/bin/convert-im6.q16
/usr/bin/display-im6.q16
/usr/bin/identify-im6.q16
/usr/bin/import-im6.q16
/usr/bin/mogrify-im6.q16
/usr/bin/montage-im6.q16
/usr/bin/stream-im6.q16


, alternatives are put in place:

/usr/bin/animate -> /etc/alternatives/animate
/usr/bin/animate-im6 -> /etc/alternatives/animate-im6
/usr/bin/animate-im6.q16
/usr/bin/compare -> /etc/alternatives/compare
/usr/bin/compare-im6 -> /etc/alternatives/compare-im6
/usr/bin/compare-im6.q16
/usr/bin/composite -> /etc/alternatives/composite
/usr/bin/composite-im6 -> /etc/alternatives/composite-im6
/usr/bin/composite-im6.q16
/usr/bin/conjure -> /etc/alternatives/conjure
/usr/bin/conjure-im6 -> /etc/alternatives/conjure-im6
/usr/bin/conjure-im6.q16
/usr/bin/convert -> /etc/alternatives/convert
/usr/bin/convert-im6 -> /etc/alternatives/convert-im6
/usr/bin/convert-im6.q16
/usr/bin/display -> /etc/alternatives/display
/usr/bin/display-im6 -> /etc/alternatives/display-im6
/usr/bin/display-im6.q16
/usr/bin/identify -> /etc/alternatives/identify
/usr/bin/identify-im6 -> /etc/alternatives/identify-im6
/usr/bin/identify-im6.q16
/usr/bin/import -> /etc/alternatives/import
/usr/bin/import-im6 -> /etc/alternatives/import-im6
/usr/bin/import-im6.q16
/usr/bin/mogrify -> /etc/alternatives/mogrify
/usr/bin/mogrify-im6 -> /etc/alternatives/mogrify-im6
/usr/bin/mogrify-im6.q16
/usr/bin/montage -> /etc/alternatives/montage
/usr/bin/montage-im6 -> /etc/alternatives/montage-im6
/usr/bin/montage-im6.q16
/usr/bin/stream -> /etc/alternatives/stream
/usr/bin/stream-im6 -> /etc/alternatives/stream-im6
/usr/bin/stream-im6.q16


There is no "magick" command (or alternative), yet it seems as though
there is meant to be a "magick" program:
http://www.imagemagick.org/script/command-line-tools.php

Perhaps this "magick" command is only available in newer versions of
ImageMagick?


Anyway, "import" gets in the way, and others such as "convert",
"stream", "identify" and "display" really dominate those respective
generic namespaces, and in this particular case, are directly
obstructing:
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=906674


"Alternatives" provides for choosing amongst "functionally the same"
alternatives, or "deleting" the generic name.


My question is, can I safely remove the symbolic link "generic"
names applied by the IM package, or IM's reverse dependencies going
to bite me?

TIA,