[Bug 703106] Re: xdg-update-menu overwrites the /usr/share/applications/defaults.list symlink with a file.

[Marc Deslauriers]

Thanks for reporting this issue, and attaching a patch.

Could you please file a bug for this in the upstream project's bug tracker: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/
(File it under "Portland")

Once the upstream bug has been filed, we can proceed to get this fixed
in Ubuntu. Thanks!

** Also affects: xdg-utils (Ubuntu Lucid)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: xdg-utils (Ubuntu Maverick)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: xdg-utils (Ubuntu Natty)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Changed in: xdg-utils (Ubuntu Lucid)
       Status: New => Confirmed

** Changed in: xdg-utils (Ubuntu Maverick)
       Status: New => Confirmed

** Changed in: xdg-utils (Ubuntu Natty)
       Status: New => Confirmed

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/703106

Title:
  xdg-update-menu overwrites the /usr/share/applications/defaults.list
  symlink with a file.

Status in Xdg-utils:
  New
Status in “xdg-utils” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in “xdg-utils” source package in Lucid:
  Confirmed
Status in “xdg-utils” source package in Maverick:
  Confirmed
Status in “xdg-utils” source package in Natty:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: xdg-utils

  The desktop-file-utils package creates
  /usr/share/applications/defaults.list as a symlink to
  /etc/gnome/defaults.list.  Unfortunately, the xdg-update-menu program,
  when called to install a .desktop file with new mime types, overwrites
  this symlink with a file.  It does this by reading the defaults.list,
  writing to a temporary file, making edits, then copying it back.  it
  doesn't notice if the defaults.list file is a symlink, and overwrites
  it with a file.

  A common example of this is installing google chrome.  it calls xdg-
  desktop-menu to install its desktop file, and the result is that
  /etc/gnome/defaults.list is no longer used.

  I suggest that xdg-desktop-menu should canonicalize defaults.list
  before writing to it.  I've attached a simple patch as an example.
  This patch will apply both to the latest package in natty, as well as
  to Lucid, where I'd really like this to be applied.