ssmtp-config fails on step 6

[Kevin Andrew Lipscomb]

ssmtp-config fails silently on step 6 at the first call to /usr/sbin/alternatives.

I isolated the alternatives command, added the --verbose switch to it, and ran the result from a bash shell that was launched as Administrator.  The command fails immediately after emitting:

   reading /var/lib/alternatives/mta

I am also reporting this as a bug in alternatives at bugzilla.redhat.com.
-- 
-- Kevin