Overview
Request 831020 accepted
- Fix usage of update-alternatives (boo#1175919).
- Created by 1Antoine1
- In state accepted
-
Package maintainer:
WernerFink
- Supersedes 830607
Beside the test and usage of %{_libexecdir}/man-db/wrapper ... do you have tested this in %preun scriptlet as well? This because IMHO this is the correct location for disabling a symbolic link at deinstalling a package as in the %postun scriptlet the file below %{_libexecdir}/man-db/ are removed in this case.
Hi @WernerFink, I've only tested the update with the scriptlet in %postun.
update-alternatives handles well the removal when the path %{_libexecdir}/man-db/wrapper doesn't exist anymore in %postun.
I see nothing wrong with calling it in %preun but I preferred to follow the guidelines at https://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Packaging_Multiple_Version_guidelines#update-alternatives_mechanism.
However, I assume that calling update-alternatives --remove... in %preun would be more complex because it would require to test both $1 -eq 0 (package removal: %{_libexecdir}/man-db/wrapper still exists but we have to clean the alternative because it's going to be removed) and another condition to check the case of an update changing the alternative path (the bug case).
I suppose that's why simply using the file presence condition in %postun has been chosen in guidelines.
https://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1175919#c5
Means to increase the priority will help ... and using %preun avoid other messages
@WernerFink: I think increasing priority is not desirable for this case. Path has changed: Adding new path with higher priority may work but keeping the old path just looks awkward.
update-alternatives --remove in %postun seems the standard way, playing with priority/%preun/crafting a specific solution for the man package is unnecessary and less maintainable imho.
Just tested the value 1020 instead of 1010 and it works on update
noether:~ # update-alternatives --query man Name: man Link: /usr/bin/man Slaves: apropos /usr/bin/apropos apropos.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/apropos.1.gz man.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/man.1.gz whatis /usr/bin/whatis whatis.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/whatis.1.gz Status: auto Best: /usr/lib/man-db/wrapper Value: /usr/lib/man-db/wrapper Alternative: /usr/lib/man-db/wrapper Priority: 1010 Slaves: apropos /usr/lib/man-db/whatis apropos.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/apropos-db.1.gz man.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/man-db.1.gz whatis /usr/lib/man-db/whatis whatis.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/whatis-db.1.gz noether:~ # rpm -Uhv /abuild/oscbuild/openSUSE_Factory/home/abuild/rpmbuild/RPMS/x86_64/man-2.8.4-0.x86_64.rpm --force Verifying... ################################# [100%] Preparing... ################################# [100%] Updating / installing... 1:man-2.8.4-0 ################################# [ 50%] Updating /etc/sysconfig/cron ... Cleaning up / removing... 2:man-2.8.4-10.1 ################################# [100%] noether:~ # update-alternatives --query man update-alternatives: warning: alternative /usr/lib/man-db/wrapper (part of link group man) doesn't exist; removing from list of alternatives Name: man Link: /usr/bin/man Slaves: apropos /usr/bin/apropos apropos.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/apropos.1.gz man.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/man.1.gz whatis /usr/bin/whatis whatis.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/whatis.1.gz Status: auto Best: /usr/libexec/man-db/wrapper Value: /usr/libexec/man-db/wrapper Alternative: /usr/libexec/man-db/wrapper Priority: 1020 Slaves: apropos /usr/libexec/man-db/whatis apropos.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/apropos-db.1.gz man.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/man-db.1.gz whatis /usr/libexec/man-db/whatis whatis.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/whatis-db.1.gz
and no dangling symlinks
noether:~ # find /usr/bin/man /usr/bin/apropos /usr/share/man/man1/apropos.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/man.1.gz /usr/bin/whatis /usr/share/man/man1/whatis.1.gz -ls 1461710 0 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 21 Sep 1 09:28 /usr/bin/man -> /etc/alternatives/man 1461711 0 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 25 Sep 1 09:28 /usr/bin/apropos -> /etc/alternatives/apropos 202661319 0 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 30 Sep 1 09:28 /usr/share/man/man1/apropos.1.gz -> /etc/alternatives/apropos.1.gz 202661338 0 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 26 Sep 1 09:28 /usr/share/man/man1/man.1.gz -> /etc/alternatives/man.1.gz 1461712 0 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 24 Sep 1 09:28 /usr/bin/whatis -> /etc/alternatives/whatis 202661345 0 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 29 Sep 1 09:28 /usr/share/man/man1/whatis.1.gz -> /etc/alternatives/whatis.1.gz noether:~ # find /usr/bin/man /usr/bin/apropos /usr/share/man/man1/apropos.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/man.1.gz /usr/bin/whatis /usr/share/man/man1/whatis.1.gz -follow -ls 137535230 16 -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 14800 Sep 1 09:25 /usr/bin/man 137535229 48 -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 49024 Sep 1 09:25 /usr/bin/apropos 201572731 4 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2859 Sep 1 09:25 /usr/share/man/man1/apropos.1.gz 201736602 16 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 12922 Sep 1 09:25 /usr/share/man/man1/man.1.gz 137535229 48 -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 49024 Sep 1 09:25 /usr/bin/whatis 201769841 4 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2710 Sep 1 09:25 /usr/share/man/man1/whatis.1.gz
Sure... there is no dangling symlink with the solution of this request either but whatever!
@WernerFink: Plus with your solution the old path will not be cleaned properly from alternative list.
See the message update-alternatives: warning: alternative /usr/lib/man-db/wrapper (part of link group man) doesn't exist; removing from list of alternatives
which will be displayed on every calls to update-alternatives --list man or update-alternatives --query man.
Hmmm ... and with your approach the old already installed package provides the same problem as /usr/lib/man-db/wrapper is not equal to /usr/libexec/man-db/wrapper
The only approach would be hardcoded
update-alternatives --remove man /usr/lib/man-db/wrapper
@WernerFink: No because %post of new package will call again update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/man man /usr/libexec/man-db/wrapper which will have the "side" effect to clean old path /usr/lib/man-db/wrapper since it doesn't exist anymore this time.
This is the same reason why re-installing man with zypper in -f man fixes the issue.
And when the path changes again, this solution will avoid this kind of problem.
Request History
1Antoine1 created request
- Fix usage of update-alternatives (boo#1175919).
WernerFink accepted request
It work only as `--quiet` is used, indeed ... the guideline `https://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Packaging_Multiple_Version_guidelines#update-alternatives_mechanism` should be completed at this point as
Rebased request since other changes were pushed in Base:System / man.
How does your approach remove an already exising entry for group man with path /usr/lib/man-db/wrapper? Also, regardless what
https://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Packaging_Multiple_Version_guidelines#update-alternatives_mechanismsays, I wnatto use %preun as at this point the path is installed and not removed in case of a real deintallation.@WernerFink
How does your approach remove an already exising entry for group man with path /usr/lib/man-db/wrapper?
Both your approach and mine will remove the existing entry
/usr/lib/man-db/wrapperwhen updating from current package. Becauseupdate-alternatives --install /usr/bin/man man /usr/libexec/man-db/wrapperwill remove the old path/usr/lib/man-db/wrapperfor group because path doesn't exist anymore.But if in future the path changes again e.g. to
/usr/libexec2/man-db/wrapperthe %post of updated package will callupdate-alternatives --install /usr/bin/man man /usr/libexec2/man-db/wrapperwhich won't remove/usr/libexec/man-db/wrapperbecause path will exist (because %post of updated package is executed before old package deinstallation).I wnatto use %preun as at this point the path is installed and not removed in case of a real deinstallation.
I don't get it: The guidelines' approach equally works for package upgrade and removal.
update-alternatives --remove...in %postun will clean things if path doesn't exist anymore - in case of path update like the bug and in case of package removal as well.The quidline is missing
--quiettogether with--removeas without--quietthere is a message which will reported by rpm and therefore with zypper and yastAs package mandoc simply conflicts nowadays:
Fri Jan 10 10:36:08 UTC 2020 - Ludwig Nussel lnussel@suse.de - get rid of alternatives altogether, just conflict (boo#1160568)
maybe it is better to skip the whole u-a stuff at all