Re: slave symlink?
On Wed, 28 Jul 1999, Carl Mummert wrote:
> With the alternatives sytstem, there are two links per executable:
>
>
> /usr/bin/executable -> /etc/alternatives/executable -> /real/executable
>
> Apparently, the develoepr of update-alternatives calls
> the link in the middle a 'slave symlink'
Actually, i think this is not the meaning of the term "slave symlink"
(unfortunately, i can't find the original post).
We'll use vi as an example. The /usr/bin/vi links to /etc/alternatives/vi,
which links to whichever version of vi is the current. This is the master
symlink. There is also a slave symlink: /usr/man/man1/vi.1.gz symlinks to
/etc/alternatives/vi.1.gz, which links to the manpage for whichever
version of vi the master points to.
So, when update-alternatives selects nvi over vim (for example), the slave
gets updated along with the master. The only drawback is that there is no
way to tell the system to switch to a lower-priority alternative (vim over
elvis, for example), you have to change all the symlinks by hand. Also,
update-alternatives won't correct the slave links even if the new master
is in the database... But the dpkg package scares me too much to even file
a bug report on!
Oh wait, this just in (what too so long i wonder?) (rhetorical question)
On Wed, 28 Jul 1999, Pollywog wrote:
> I know what a symlink is, but what is a "slave symlink"?
> I upgraded today (potato using apt-get) and I got this:
>
> warning: /usr/bin/wish8.0 is supposed to be a slave symlink to
> /etc/alternatives/wish8.0, or nonexistent; however, readlink failed: In
> gument
> Leaving wish8.0 (/usr/bin/wish8.0) pointing to /usr/bin/wishstep8.0.
This has been filed as a bug report, #37252, #38456, and #40367. One of
the replies indicates that the problem will be fixed when 8.0.3 is
released, hopefully this happens soon.
Reply to: