Description of problem: There are broken symlinks in kernel package. # symlinks -r / | grep -i dangling | grep fc21 dangling: /usr/lib/modules/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64/source -> build dangling: /usr/lib/modules/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64/build -> /usr/src/kernels/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64 # rpm -qf /usr/src/kernels/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64 error: file /usr/src/kernels/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64: No such file or directory These symlinks need kernel-devel to be installed to complete it. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): Fedora release 21 kernel-3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64 How reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: # symlinks -r / | grep -i dangling | grep fc21 dangling: /usr/lib/modules/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64/source -> build dangling: /usr/lib/modules/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64/build -> /usr/src/kernels/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64 Actual results: # file /usr/lib/modules/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64/source /usr/lib/modules/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64/source: broken symbolic link to `build' # file /usr/lib/modules/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64/build /usr/lib/modules/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64/build: broken symbolic link to `/usr/src/kernels/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64' Expected results: Broken symlinks (Dangling) should not be present. Additional info:
This has been this way as long as I can remeber. Why is this a problem?
(In reply to Josh Boyer from comment #1) > This has been this way as long as I can remeber. Why is this a problem? Hello Josh, Thank you for looking into it. We had run a simple script which checks for broken symlinks in filesystem, we could see the below dangling symlinks (first two from kernel package). This can be completed by installing the 'kernel-devel' package. ================================== /usr/lib/modules/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64/source: broken symbolic link to `build' /usr/lib/modules/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64/build: broken symbolic link to `/usr/src/kernels/3.17.4-301.fc21.x86_64' /usr/lib/debug/bin: broken symbolic link to `usr/bin' /usr/lib/debug/sbin: broken symbolic link to `usr/sbin' /usr/lib/debug/lib64: broken symbolic link to `usr/lib64' /usr/lib/debug/lib: broken symbolic link to `usr/lib' /usr/lib/debug/usr/.dwz: broken symbolic link to `../.dwz' ================================== However, without installing kernel-devel, it simply keeps broken links on system. We believe symlinks are the responsibility of the sub-package (kernel-devel), not the "parent" (kernel). ie. if the sub-package is not installed the symlink should not be there. That way the system will never have any "BROKEN" links.
Hello, Can kernel Team please provide an update on this bug? Thanks.
This is low priority and as I said it has been this way for years. While I understand your script detects this, it isn't actually causing a problem and making a change won't happen soon.
Can we at least create a "standard" where any symlink a package creates is at least "owned" by the creating package? Although this might mean some symlinks have multiple owners (that might introduce a problem of it's own I'll leave the package management people to worry about ;-) it will at least give consistency & responsibility. ie. I'm prepared to accept a broken symlink where the link itself actually has an owner. Taking responsibility for something you create is, I think, a priority ;-)
Hello Team, I would appreciate if we could get an answer to comment #5 . Thanks in advance.
The kernel team doesn't create packaging standards in Fedora. You'll need to discuss that with the FPC. As for the suggestion to own the symlink, it is already owned. [jwboyer@vader ~]$ rpm -qf /usr/lib/modules/3.18.7-200.fc21.x86_64/build kernel-core-3.18.7-200.fc21.x86_64
*********** MASS BUG UPDATE ************** We apologize for the inconvenience. There is a large number of bugs to go through and several of them have gone stale. Due to this, we are doing a mass bug update across all of the Fedora 21 kernel bugs. Fedora 21 has now been rebased to 3.19.5-200.fc21. Please test this kernel update (or newer) and let us know if you issue has been resolved or if it is still present with the newer kernel. If you have moved on to Fedora 22, and are still experiencing this issue, please change the version to Fedora 22. If you experience different issues, please open a new bug report for those.
A discussion thread had been started with FPC, "Subject Line : [Fedora-packaging] Broken Symlinks" . In the thread, it was suggested if someone could provide a patch which move the symlinks to kernel-devel subpackage. The Fedora Package Guidelines says that package should own all of the files that are installed as part of the %install process. https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging:Guidelines?rd=Packaging/Guidelines#FileAndDirectoryOwnership [...] Your package should own all of the files that are installed as part of the %install process. [...] I had made the changes in kernel.spec file through which symlinks are moved to kernel-devel package. The patch was posted on the FPC thread, Attaching the patch here.
Created attachment 1041034 [details] kernel.spec changes
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Fedora 21 changed to end-of-life (EOL) status on 2015-12-01. Fedora 21 is no longer maintained, which means that it will not receive any further security or bug fix updates. As a result we are closing this bug. If you can reproduce this bug against a currently maintained version of Fedora please feel free to reopen this bug against that version. If you are unable to reopen this bug, please file a new report against the current release. If you experience problems, please add a comment to this bug. Thank you for reporting this bug and we are sorry it could not be fixed.