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Re: How are directories managed.



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On 2011-04-12 03:56, Paul Elliott wrote:
> 
> This may be a FAQ but I could not find the answer in the documentation:
> 
> How are directories managed? When does a directory get deleted? What is the 
> lifetime of a directory? Is a directory owned by a specific package?
> 
> Which packages are alowed to deposit files in a specific directory? What exactly 
> are the rules?
> 

Hi

I think it is easier for us to answer your question if you can be a
little more specific on what you want to know/do.  Depending on what you
are trying to do the answer may be covered by the Policy, FHS or/and the
interface of certain packages (e.g. like installing files into
/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/).

> If a package wants to put files in a directory, how does the package "know" 
> that the directory will live longer than the file?
> 

Assuming your question is something like:
  "If pkgA installs a file A as /some/where/A, how can pkgA know that A
   is not removed before pkgA is removed/uninstalled?"

If we take the very simple case for a moment, then this is given that A
will exist as long as pkgA is installed.  dpkg will not remove
directories as long as a file exists in it.
  Extending it a bit, the file A can legally be renamed using
dpkg-divert.  If another package uses dpkg-divert to move A, then said
package is expected to provide a replacement for A that keeps pkgA
functional.  Otherwise, the diversion can be done by the system
administrator; in this case the sysadmin is expected to know what he/she
is doing.

~Niels

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