Use ESL erlang deb, provide fake erlang-nox package so deps behave

fake-erlang.sh

#!/bin/bash
# Install fake erlang packages, then the ESL package
# Afterwards, installing packages that depend on erlang, like rabbitmq,
# will use the ESL packaged erlang without installing the older disto ones
#
apt-get install equivs
# Create fake erlang packages, since we are using esl-erlang instead
cd /tmp
apt-get install -y equivs

function make_dummy_package {
echo "Section: misc
Priority: optional
Standards-Version: 3.6.2

Package: $1
Version: 1:99
Maintainer: RJ <[email protected]>
Provides: erlang-nox
Description: fake erlang package 
 pretends $1 is installed" > $1

equivs-build $1
}

erlpkgs="erlang-abi-13.a erlang-appmon erlang-asn1 erlang-base erlang-base-hipe erlang-common-test erlang-corba erlang-crypto erlang-debugger erlang-dev erlang-dialyzer erlang-doc erlang-doc-html erlang-docbuilder erlang-edoc erlang-erl-docgen erlang-esdl erlang-esdl-dev erlang-esdl-doc erlang-et erlang-eunit erlang-examples erlang-gs erlang-ic erlang-ic-java erlang-inets erlang-inviso erlang-jinterface erlang-manpages erlang-megaco erlang-mnesia erlang-nox erlang-observer erlang-odbc erlang-os-mon erlang-parsetools erlang-percept erlang-pman erlang-public-key erlang-reltool erlang-runtime-tools erlang-snmp erlang-src erlang-ssh erlang-ssl erlang-syntax-tools erlang-test-server erlang-toolbar erlang-tools erlang-tv erlang-typer erlang-webtool erlang-wx erlang-x11 erlang-xmerl erlang-yaws"
## Argh, can't just make them all, esl-erlang Conflicts: with them.
for fucking_stupid_debian_package in erlang-nox
do
    make_dummy_package $fucking_stupid_debian_package
done

dpkg -i ./*.deb

# ESL Erlang
echo "deb http://binaries.erlang-solutions.com/debian `lsb_release -cs` contrib" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/erlang-esl.list
wget -O - http://binaries.erlang-solutions.com/debian/erlang_solutions.asc | apt-key add -
apt-get update
# The public key they provide doesn't match (at time of writing..), hence the unauth flag:
apt-get install -y --allow-unauthenticated esl-erlang

# Now stuff like this works without pulling in distro-erlang:
echo "deb http://www.rabbitmq.com/debian/ testing main" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/rabbitmq-server.list
wget -O -  http://www.rabbitmq.com/rabbitmq-signing-key-public.asc | apt-key add -
apt-get update
echo "rabbitmq-server rabbitmq-server/upgrade_previous note" | debconf-set-selections
apt-get install rabbitmq-server

Although rabbitmq-server just depends on "erlang-nox", the couchdb package depends on various erlang app packages, such as erlang-ssl, erlang-crypto, erlang-base etc.. So I also generate fake packages for all of those too. Yay debian.

This is hugely helpful. I may repackage erlang-esl in a ppa to "provide" all of these as well, may be simpler.

Hi, I tried running this and it seemed to install rabbitmq-server correctly with my esl-erlang. When I tried 'sudo apt-get install yaws' after running your script apt still wanted to remove esl-erlang and install the system erlang.
Maybe something I am doing wrong? Any ideas?
Even if you don't have any ideas about the yaws thing, thanks for the nice script!

There should be "apt-get update" after a new sources are added. Both above line 39 and line 45.. Please update this.

Added the apt-get update commands to the example script. I think ESL are offering split packages (ala debian) for erlang17+ nowadays, so this might become obsolete soon.