On Mon, 2009-09-14 at 11:29 -0700, Chuan-kai Lin wrote: > On Sun, Sep 13, 2009 at 11:38:23AM -0400, Jerry Quinn wrote: > > Package: bison > > Version: 1:2.4.1.dfsg-2+b1 > > Severity: normal > > > > > > When installing, I get the following dpkg output: > > > > Selecting previously deselected package bison. > > (Reading database ... 224595 files and directories currently installed.) > > Unpacking bison (from .../bison_1%3a2.4.1.dfsg-2+b1_amd64.deb) ... > > Processing triggers for man-db ... > > Setting up bison (1:2.4.1.dfsg-2+b1) ... > > update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/bison.yacc to provide /usr/bin/yacc > > (yacc) in auto mode. > > update-alternatives: warning: not replacing /usr/bin/yacc with a link. > > Press return to continue. > > I am not sure how I should respond to this report. > > If memory serves, there was a major screw-up in an old bison package on > the yacc alternative. One of the effects of that screw up was that > removing bison leaves behind a dangling /usr/bin/yacc file, which I > guess is what you are seeing. That bug had since been fixed. > > There is, unfortunately, no satisfactory way to clean up that problem, > because there is no way to tell, reliably, whether the /usr/bin/yacc > file was accidentally left behind (in which case it should be deleted) > or installed by the user (in which case it should be left as-is). So > the best the system can do is to warn you that there is a problem, which > the messages you see did. > > If you have some concrete suggestions, please let me know.
A couple of thoughts and suggestions: If someone has installed /usr/bin/yacc manually, they will likely be aware of it. If they haven't, the current message is only confusing. Right now the message says: update-alternatives: warning: not replacing /usr/bin/yacc with a link. This only says what is happening, but not why. So, perhaps say something like: /usr/bin/yacc appears to have been manually installed, so not removing. If this is not the case, you can safely remove it. Also, at least in my case, yacc is a symlink into /etc/alternatives. After removing bison, if you're left with a dangling symlink, it's probably a good sign that it was left behind by the old bug and can probably be cleaned up. Jerry -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
