Re: How are directories managed.

[PJ Weisberg <pj@irregularexpressions.net>]

On 4/12/11, Niels Thykier <niels@thykier.net> wrote:
> 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.

If pkgB adds a file /some/where/B, and no other packages have any
files in /some/where, then who creates /some/where?  Who deletes it
when A and B are both removed?

-PJ