[Python-modules-team] Bug#815631: sphinx: Use alternatives to provide scripts under /usr/bin

[Kevin Murray]

Source: sphinx
Severity: normal

Dear Maintainer,

I have recently needed to use a python3-only sphinx build process on a
system with both python-sphinx & python3-sphinx co-installed. IMHO co-installation
could be a little cleaner and easier if sphinx:

- Used update-alternatives to provide /usr/bin/sphinx-* in a
  configurable way. (e.g similar to how docutils handles this problem). This
  could use the current script installation path under
  /usr/share/sphinx/scripts/python*/

- Or, installed binaries under /usr/bin with the suffix '3', i.e. install
  /usr/bin/sphinx-build3. (modelled after pip/pip3 & nosetests/nosetests3 and
  other similar examples)

- Or, a combination of both these, where python-sphinx and
  python3-sphinx install /usr/bin/sphinx-*{2,3} respectively, and
  update-alternatives is used to provide /usr/bin/sphinx-* without
  prefix.

Is there any reason that one of these approaches have not been taken? I'm
relatively new to Debian packaging so there may be subtlety here I'm
missing.

I'm happy to have a go at implementing a solution to this myself, given
guidance as to the best option to implement (if any).

Cheers,
Kevin

P.S., I know one can always do /usr/share/sphinx/scripts/python3/sphinx-build
as a workaround.

-- System Information:
Debian Release: stretch/sid
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (900, 'testing'), (500, 'testing-updates'), (500, 'stable-updates'), (400, 'unstable'), (300, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 4.3.0-1-amd64 (SMP w/4 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_AU.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_AU.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)

---
Kevin Murray
0xA4B4EE6A