Debian Bug report logs - #28519
dpkg: creates circular symlinks [POSSIBLE WORKAROUND]

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Message #5 received at submit@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Branden Robinson <branden@ecn.purdue.edu>

To: submit@bugs.debian.org

Subject: dpkg: dpkg creates circular symlinks

Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 13:28:45 -0500

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Package: dpkg
Version: 1.4.0.31
Severity: critical

I have a problem with the xserver-common package that I cannot find a way
to blame on the package itself.  I surmise there is problem with dpkg.

This bug, regardless of who is reponsible, has X at an absolute standstill
and I will be unable to have working xfree86 packages until this is
resolved.

Reassign or downgrade this bug as you see fit, but for God's sake please
help me fix it.  It's driving me quite out of my mind.

Scenario:

This appears to happen only on upgrades, not on fresh installs of the
xserver-common package.

dpkg produces the following output:
Preparing to replace xserver-common 3.3.2.3a-5 (using xserver-common_3.3.2.3a-6.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement xserver-common ...
dpkg: xserver-common: warning - config file `/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc' is a circular link
 (= /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc')
dpkg: xserver-common: warning - config file `/etc/X11/xserver/SecurityPolicy' is a circular link
 (= /etc/X11/xserver/SecurityPolicy')
Setting up xserver-common (3.3.2.3a-6) ...
dpkg: xserver-common: warning - config file `/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc' is a circular link
 (= `/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc')
dpkg: xserver-common: warning - config file `/etc/X11/xserver/SecurityPolicy' is a circular link
 (= `/etc/X11/xserver/SecurityPolicy')

I do not ship such a circular symlink in the package.  I have no ln
commands within the package preinst or postinst scripts.

/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc is not registered as a conffile in xbase <=
3.3.2.3a-1.  It is a conffile in xserver-common >= 3.3.2.3a-2.

/etc/X11/xserver/SecurityPolicy is registered as a conffile in xbase <=
3.3.2.3a-1.  It is a conffile in xserver-common >= 3.3.2.3a-2.

Unless the user has changed things, these files have the following nature
before the upgrade to xserver-common >= 3.3.2.3a-2.

lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root           11 Oct 25 02:03 /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc -> ../Xsession
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         2896 May  8 10:14 /etc/X11/xserver/SecurityPolicy

After such an upgrade, if things were to work properly, they would look
like this:

-rwxr-xr-x   1 root     root           31 Oct 14 15:03 /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         2896 Jun 15 03:08 /etc/X11/xserver/SecurityPolicy

As you can see, the nature of xinitrc has changed a bit.  SecurityPolicy
does not change at all.

Attached:
  1) xserver-common 3.3.2.3a-6 preinst
  2) xserver-common 3.3.2.3a-6 postinst
  3) dpkg-deb --contents xserver-common 3.3.2.3a-6
  4) output of dpkg -i --debyg=223 xserver-common 3.3.2.3a-6

Please note that /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/xserverrc is supposed to be a
broken symlink. /etc/X11/xinit/xserverrc should not exist by default.

-- 
G. Branden Robinson              |
Debian GNU/Linux                 |        "Bother," said Pooh, as he was
branden@ecn.purdue.edu           |        assimilated by the Borg.
cartoon.ecn.purdue.edu/~branden/ |

[preinst (text/plain, attachment)]

[postinst (text/plain, attachment)]

[contents (text/plain, attachment)]

[debug (text/plain, attachment)]

Message #10 received at 28519@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Ian Jackson <ian@chiark.greenend.org.uk>

To: Branden Robinson <branden@ecn.purdue.edu>, 28519@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#28519: dpkg: dpkg creates circular symlinks

Date: Mon, 26 Oct 1998 11:25:20 +0000 (GMT)

Branden Robinson writes ("Bug#28519: dpkg: dpkg creates circular symlinks"):
> [bug report]

Urg, complexity.  Can you come onto [IRC channel name removed - iwj] to talk about it ?
I want to quiz you a bit and it'll be easier with more interaction.

Otherwise I'll write a list of questions.

Ian.

Message #15 received at 28519@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Branden Robinson <branden@ecn.purdue.edu>

To: control@bugs.debian.org, 28519@bugs.debian.org

Subject: foo

Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1999 18:18:15 -0500

severity 28519 grave
retitle 28519 dpkg: creates circular symlinks [POSSIBLE WORKAROUND]
thanks

Some (not thorough) experimentation indicates to me that this problem can
be worked around by proper use of Conflicts:

The scenario that uncovered this bug was somewhat ugly.

Two possible situations exist at upgrade time.

/usr/X11R6/dir/foo -> /etc/X11/dir/foo

or

/usr/X11R6/dir -> /etc/X11/dir

This causes a big headache when the conffile /etc/X11/dir/foo is moved to a
different package (and thus, so is the symlink that points to it).

By having newpackage Conflict: with oldpackge (<< version where move took
place), this *seems* to be avoided.

I am not yet certain about this workaround, though.

-- 
G. Branden Robinson              |
Debian GNU/Linux                 |   Mob rule isn't any prettier just because
branden@ecn.purdue.edu           |   you call your mob a government.
cartoon.ecn.purdue.edu/~branden/ |

Message #28 received at 28519-done@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Wichert Akkerman <wichert@wiggy.net>

To: 28519-done@bugs.debian.org, 76454-done@bugs.debian.org, 76862-done@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Bugs fixed in current dpkg

Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2000 02:41:54 +0100

Bug# 76464 was a combination of a bug in perl and in dpkg; both
are fixed in the current version in unstable (1.7.2)

Bug# 76842 was a wrongly compiled dpkg for sparc; this has been
current in the release of Debian 2.2r2

Bug# 28519 was fixed a bunch of versions ago.

Wichert.

-- 
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