packaging bug in ubuntu-docs

[Loïc Minier]

On Sun, Jan 18, 2009, Chris Coulson wrote:
> I've just done a little debugging of this on my Intrepid machine. I
> purged ubuntu-docs from it, and then installed the Hardy version, which
> ships /usr/share/gnome/help/libs as a directory. Then I upgraded to the
> Intrepid version of ubuntu-docs, which ships /usr/share/gnome/help/libs
> as a symlink. During the upgrade, the folder that was shipped with Hardy
> package didn't get overwritten with the symlink that ships with the
> Intrepid package, leading to the bug described (empty folder).

 So what needs to be done here is adding a preinst to the package
 checking for what /usr/share/gnome/help/libs is, and removing it if
 needs be; probably adding a debian/ubuntu-docs.preinst as follow is
 enough:
    #!/bin/sh

    set -e

    if [ -d /usr/share/gnome/help/libs ]; then
        rm -rf /usr/share/gnome/help/libs
    fi

    #DEBHELPER#

> So, this is breaking only for people upgrading from Hardy to Intrepid,
> but is okay on clean installs.

 (So it's bug introduced in the intrepid cycle and might warrant a SRU
 to intrepid.)

> Maybe this is actually a dpkg bug?

 It's a dpkg "feature" which I think theoritically allows you to e.g.
 symlink /usr to /mountpoint-with-lots-of-space.

-- 
Loïc Minier