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This bug was initially created as a copy of Bug #2203820
I am copying this bug because:
The issue was originally reported as a GitHub issue on upstream: https://github.com/fedora-sysv/chkconfig/issues/102 and fixed by: https://github.com/fedora-sysv/chkconfig/pull/104
We have a problem in python3.11-wheel package which we can probably solve by ourselves but I think the strange behavior of alternatives I discovered is still worth reporting.
When talking about packages, I mean the ones available in RHEL 8 and I'm using 1minutetip for testing. The most important ones are chkconfig-1.19.1-1.el8.x86_64 and python3.11-wheel-0.38.4-3.el8.noarch.
To reproduce the problem on RHEL 8:
1. `dnf install python36 python3.11` (Python 3.6 is needed later.)
2. `alternatives --set python3 /usr/bin/python3.11`
3. `dnf install python3.11-wheel`
The installation of python3.11-wheel calls [this command in its `%post` scriptlet](https://gitlab.com/redhat/centos-stream/rpms/python3.11-wheel/-/blob/c8s/python3.11-wheel.spec#L121-125):
`alternatives --keep-foreign --add-slave python3 /usr/bin/python3.11 /usr/bin/wheel-3 wheel-3 /usr/bin/wheel-3.11`
The command produces the following error:
```
Running scriptlet: python3.11-wheel-0.38.4-3.el8.noarch 1/1
failed to link /usr/bin/wheel-3 -> /etc/alternatives/wheel-3: /usr/bin/wheel-3 exists and it is either not a symlink or --keep-foreign was set and link points outside /etc/alternatives
```
But, if you set the alternative for python3 to python36 which means that the installation of python3.11-wheel will add the slave into an inactive alternative, it works fine and no error is shown. So these steps are fine:
1. `dnf install python36 python3.11`
2. `alternatives --set python3 /usr/bin/python3.6`
3. `dnf install python3.11-wheel`
If I understand it correctly `--keep-foreign` should prevent the `--add-slave` from removing/changing a symlink, if it already exists. If that's true, having `--add-slave` together with `--keep-foreign` makes perfect sense. The problem is that the error message is not true: `/usr/bin/wheel-3` does not exist in this case. Alternatives should create that file if you install python3.11-wheel when python3.11 is the active alternative for python3.
To sum this up:
* If python3.11 is active alternative for python3, the installation of python3.11-wheel does not create `/usr/bin/wheel-3` and shows the error mentioned above.
* If python36 is active alternative for python3, the installation succeedes without errors. Then, when you switch from python36 to python3.11 alternative, the file `/usr/bin/wheel-3` is there and works as expected: `/usr/bin/wheel-3 -> /etc/alternatives/wheel-3 -> /usr/bin/wheel-3.11`.
Bug report with some more context: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2181479
Does it make sense to use `--keep-foreign` with `--add-slave`? If so, could we fix the problem? And if not, could we improve the error message to make it clear that this is not supported?
Since the problem described in this bug report should be
resolved in a recent advisory, it has been closed with a
resolution of ERRATA.
For information on the advisory (chkconfig bug fix and enhancement update), and where to find the updated
files, follow the link below.
If the solution does not work for you, open a new bug report.
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2023:6648