[Slackbuilds-users] Symlinks and AUTOMATIC removals

[Shahab Vahedi]

Today, I have observed a peculiar behaviour from "removepkg". I'd like
to share it with and see if anybody knows better about this.

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Links must be created by "doinst.sh" scripts. If "removepkg" finds (?)
the following pattern in "doinst.sh" script of a package:

( cd some/path ; rm -rf some.file )
( cd some/path ; ln -sf /the/source/file some.file )

those becomes the first files that are _automatically_ removed:

# removepkg brother-brscan4
  Removing files:
  --> Deleting symlink /some/path/some.file
      ...

This  is  wanted,  because  these  automatic  removals  can  make  the
"/some/path" directory empty which the rest of removal procedure  will
remove.

You have to be careful about  this  mechanism  as  it  is  dumb.   For
instance, if there are variables like /usr/lib$LIBDIRSUFFIX/...,  they
won't be expanded and you end-up with:

Removing files:
  --> //usr/lib${LIBDIRSUFFIX}/sane/libsane-brother4.so (symlink) no
                                    longer exists. Skipping.
  ...

In that case, you're better with a tweak on the construct by replacing
';' with '&&':

( cd some/path && rm -rf some.file )
( cd some/path && ln -sf /the/source/file some.file )

And then removing the symlinks manually by "douninst.sh". However,  if
you rely on automatic removal of empty directories,  it  won't  happen
anymore,  because  "douninst.sh"  is  called  after  that.   So   your
"douninst.sh" might have to take care of it as well.

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Shahab