[Bug 1552957] [NEW] improve feedback if files are invalid symlinks

[Karl-Philipp Richter]

Public bug reported:

For some reason some binaries (e.g. `/usr/bin/reset`) got replaced by
symlinks pointing to the link itself which made `dpkg` fail with errors
in the form of `unable to make backup symlink for './usr/bin/reset': No
such file or directory`. It'd be more helpful if `dpkg` would explain
this issue since it's unlikely that a symlink to itself is intended.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: dpkg 1.18.2ubuntu5.1 [modified: usr/bin/dpkg-deb]
Uname: Linux 4.3.3-040303-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zcommon znvpair zavl
ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu5
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Mar  4 00:13:42 2016
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-04-20 (318 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 14.10 "Utopic Unicorn" - Release amd64 (20141022.2)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=screen
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=de_DE.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: dpkg
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2016-03-03 (0 days ago)
modified.conffile..etc.cron.daily.dpkg: [deleted]

** Affects: dpkg (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug xenial

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1552957

Title:
  improve feedback if files are invalid symlinks

Status in dpkg package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  For some reason some binaries (e.g. `/usr/bin/reset`) got replaced by
  symlinks pointing to the link itself which made `dpkg` fail with
  errors in the form of `unable to make backup symlink for
  './usr/bin/reset': No such file or directory`. It'd be more helpful if
  `dpkg` would explain this issue since it's unlikely that a symlink to
  itself is intended.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
  Package: dpkg 1.18.2ubuntu5.1 [modified: usr/bin/dpkg-deb]
  Uname: Linux 4.3.3-040303-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zcommon znvpair zavl
  ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu5
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Fri Mar  4 00:13:42 2016
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-04-20 (318 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 14.10 "Utopic Unicorn" - Release amd64 (20141022.2)
  ProcEnviron:
   TERM=screen
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
   LANG=de_DE.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: dpkg
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2016-03-03 (0 days ago)
  modified.conffile..etc.cron.daily.dpkg: [deleted]

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