Tails

When wrapping executables (for various reasons, e.g. torsocksifying them) we do various stuff like:

• patch .application files’ Exec field
• put wrappers for e.g. /usr/bin/$X in /usr/local/bin/$X and rely on the wrapped one being picked due to the $PATH ordering
• dpkg-divert to .orig in the same path

and similar. Wouldn’t a cleaner way be to:

For executable with path $EXE (e.g. /usr/bin/pidgin), dpkg-divert it to /usr/local/lib/wrapped/$EXE (e.g. /usr/local/lib/wrapped/usr/bin/pidgin), and then put the wrapper in $EXE. Then we have these improvements/advantages:

• a standard, consistent way of doing this! Less surprises!
• we don’t rely on something as brittle as $PATH ordering
• in fact, the $PATH situation is identical as if we didn’t wrap (and the wrapped executable is not in it)
• no need to touch .application files