Bug#181189: dpkg does not notice symlinks in /usr/local

[Adam Heath <adam@lapdoog.doogie.org>]

reassign 181189 zsh
severity 181189 serious
thanks

On Sun, 16 Feb 2003, Daniel Johnson wrote:

> If a directory that dpkg wants to create when installing a package already
> exists as a symlink, it treats it the same as if it was a directory. When
> in /usr/local this is not correct behaviour and could cause problems.

Yes, it is correct.

> I will explain using the context in which the bug was discovered as an
> example :
>
> the package zsh contains directories in /usr/local :
>
> /usr/local/share
> /usr/local/share/zsh
> /usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions

Policy section 10.1.2 forbids debs from containing dirs in /usr/local.  This
is a plain bug in zsh.

> If for some reason when this package comes to be installed, share/ already
> exists as a symlink to another directory, the zsh stuff will be put in
> that directory. This can happen in certain circumstances when using stow.

Yes, this is the correct approach.

> I believe the correct action for dselect upon detecting this situation
> would be to ask the user or to abort installation of the package. At the
> moment it does not appear even to notice.

Dpkg, not dselect.  And no, this behaviour is correct.