#25759 dpkg: overwrites "alternatives" symlinks without warning

Package:
dpkg
Source:
dpkg
Description:
Debian package management system
Submitter:
Joey Hess
Date:
2015-03-29 00:03:04 UTC
Severity:
normal
#25759#5
Date:
1998-08-16 00:02:29 UTC
From:
To:
Let's say /usr/bin/java is a symlink to /etc/alternatives/java.
Now I install a (badly made) package that includes /usr/bin/java as a
regular file.
I was glad to see that the new file didn't overwrite the ultimate
destination of the existing symlink, but I think that there ought to be
a warning that the symlink is being removed, if not an actual error.

Btw, `update-alternatives' still behaves reasonably well (laudably well,
actually), despite /usr/bin/java now being a regular file.

Just a wishlist item,

pjm.
#25759#12
Date:
2002-10-10 14:58:19 UTC
From:
To:
severity 25759 normal
merge 25759 80144
thanks

Both of these ask for better behavior when a package
contains a file of the same pathname as a generic name
in the alternatives system.