Bug#1187: Various `vi' versions trample on each other.

[iwj10@cus.cam.ac.uk (Ian Jackson)]

Package: nvi, elvis
Version: nvi 1.34-5, elv-vi 1.8pl4-12

Observe that in the transcript below, I
 (a) ask that vim be installed as `my default editor' (meaning as
/usr/bin/vi, this is a separate bug which I have already reported).
 (b) see informative but potentially alarming-looking ls output from
nvi.
 (c) get an error message from elv-vi that is
   (i) inappropriate - there is no error here and
   (ii) in any case not reported back to dpkg via a non-zero exit
        status and not drawn to the user's attention using a prompt
        (as it should have been if it really was an error).

Please could all `vi' versions:
 (a) always - without prompting or producing large amounts of output -
install themselves as /usr/bin/vi in the postinst if no vi is already
installed.  If they do this should always install a link
/usr/man/man1/vi.1 (even if there is already such a link).
 (b) in *removal* prerm calls only (not upgrade ones) remove the
/usr/bin/vi link if it points to themselves, possibly producing a
brief message.

Ian.


Would you make vim your default editor (y/n)? y

Setting up joe ...
Setting up nvi ...
/usr/bin/vi exists
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root            3 Aug  1 02:41 /usr/bin/vi -> vim
/usr/man/man1/vi.1 exists
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root            5 Aug  1 02:41 /usr/man/man1/vi.1 -> vim.1

Setting up pico ...
Setting up ee ...

Setting up elv-vi ...
/usr/bin/vi exists
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root            3 Aug  1 02:42 /usr/bin/vi -> nvi
/usr/man/man1/vi.1 exists
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root            5 Aug  1 02:42 /usr/man/man1/vi.1 -> nvi.1
/usr/bin/ex exists
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root            3 Aug  1 02:42 /usr/bin/ex -> nvi
/usr/man/man1/ex.1 exists
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root            5 Aug  1 02:42 /usr/man/man1/ex.1 -> nvi.1

ERROR:  Elvis installation normally makes symbolic links in /usr/bin
        from elvis to vi, ex, view, and input; and in /usr/man/man1
        from elvis.1 to vi.1, ex.1, view.1, and input.1.  However,
        One or more of these filenames was found to be not available,
        as is shown above.  Because of this, these elvis files will
        not be linked to these other filenames as is normally done.

        You may create these links manually if desired, or you may
        delete the files elvis found in place and reinstall elvis
        and the links will be created during reinstallation.


Setting up gnuplot ...
Setting up ldso ...