Bug#309008: another dir vs. symlink problem

[Florent Rougon <f.rougon@free.fr>]

Julian Gilbey <jdg@polya.uklinux.net> wrote:

> In woody, tetex-base already contained this as a symlink, so surely it
> was an RC issue all that time ago already?

Yes. I think the problem was not noticed before because if tetex-base is
unpacked before ivritex, this sentence of Policy applies:

      A directory will never be replaced by a symbolic link to a
      directory or vice versa; instead, the existing state (symlink or
      not) will be left alone and dpkg will follow the symlink if there
      is one.

and therefore, ivritex's stuff is installed in the right place
(/usr/share/doc/texmf) and all goes well. But it is possible that
ivritex is unpacked (not configured, only unpacked) before tetex-base.
That way, /usr/share/texmf/doc is a directory (if installing woody's
ivritex, that is) and then, you have a problem when you want to install
tetex-base's /usr/share/texmf/doc symlink. At least, that is how I
understand the problem.

-- 
Florent