Bug 18877

Summary:	Symlink causes unhandled exception during upgrade.
Product:	[Retired] Red Hat Linux	Reporter:	Charles Stevenson <csteven>
Component:	anaconda	Assignee:	Michael Fulbright <msf>
Status:	CLOSED DUPLICATE	QA Contact:	Brock Organ <borgan>
Severity:	high	Docs Contact:
Priority:	high
Version:	7.0	CC:	dr
Target Milestone:	---
Target Release:	---
Hardware:	All
OS:	Linux
URL:	http://devel.yellowdoglinux.com/~csteven/
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version:		Doc Type:	Bug Fix
Doc Text:		Story Points:	---
Clone Of:		Environment:
Last Closed:	2000-10-18 20:42:48 UTC	Type:	---
Regression:	---	Mount Type:	---
Documentation:	---	CRM:
Verified Versions:		Category:	---
oVirt Team:	---	RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team:	---	Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:

Description Charles Stevenson 2000-10-11 09:28:27 UTC

I have /tmp linked to /var/tmp in my existing installation. When anaconda
creates /mnt/sysimage/foo if it is linked to /bar/feh in the real file
system it also links it to /bar/feh when recreated in /mnt/sysimage.  This
causes anaconda to look for a file within the ramdisk instead of within the
/mnt/sysimage/ directory. Which results in an unhandled exception.

In the anaconda inspired installer I've been working on for Yellow Dog I
use a chroot to avoid problems like this.

Possible Solution: Boot old Linux install and remove symlink... then add it
back after upgrade... possibly create the directory within the ramdisk from
the installer shell... either way I dont think there is a good solution or
workaround in the 7.0 installer.

Good luck :)

Best Regards,
Charles Stevenson
Software Engineer
--  
  Terra Soft Solutions, Inc.
  http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/

  Yellow Dog Linux
  "The Ultimate Companion for a Dedicated Server"
  http://www.yellowdoglinux.com/

  Black Lab Linux
  Workstations and advanced, Parallel Solutions
  http://www.blacklablinux.com/

Comment 1 Charles Stevenson 2000-10-11 09:46:54 UTC

Possible only a rare case if user has /tmp linked elsewhere...

Comment 2 Charles Stevenson 2000-10-11 09:51:02 UTC

It happened when anaconda tried to write /mnt/sysimage/tmp/upgrade.log since
/mnt/sysimage/tmp -> /var/tmp

Comment 3 Charles Stevenson 2000-10-11 10:11:30 UTC

I noticed a similar issue #10308 which was closed (WONT) with the explanation
that RPM cannot follow symlinks such as /home -> /usr/home... when in fact it is
due to the means by which anaconda mounts the root filesystem within
/mnt/sysimage. I dont have the source code handy but perhaps later I will try
and submit a patch if time permits.

Comment 4 Michael Fulbright 2000-10-18 20:42:45 UTC


*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 13071 ***