in /usr/bin/ the file "mh" is an symlink to . so doing a `ls m*` shows the entire directory. This is in the install scripts for nmh... [alikins@grimlock alikins]$ rpm -q --scripts nmh postinstall script (through /bin/sh): if [ ! -d /usr/bin/mh -a ! -L /usr/bin/mh ] ; then ln -s . /usr/bin/mh fi if [ ! -d /usr/lib/mh -a ! -L /usr/lib/mh ] ; then ln -s nmh /usr/lib/mh fi preuninstall script (through /bin/sh): [ ! -L /usr/bin/mh ] || rm -f /usr/bin/mh [ ! -L /usr/lib/mh ] || rm -f /usr/lib/mh I havent a clue what the first chunk of that is trying to do, suppose its trying to link /usr/bin/mh to something in /usr/lib/nmh.
nmh and exmh go to great lengths (using triggers) to insure that the symlink /usr/bin/mh is correct. If there is a problem, please reopen the bug with more specific details. You probably should look at what happens to /usr/bin/mh and /usr/lib/mh when exmh and/or nmh are installed/updated separately and/or together in order to identify the circumstances where the symlink is incorrect.
Here are some more comments on this from Adrian: The symlinks is bad when nmh and exmh are isntalled (on my system here ( a everythign install), my home system (a custom with both), crashes system (custom with nmh and exmh). Further more: after removing exmh and nmh, the link is gone. With just nmh: [root@grimlock RPMS]# ls -al /usr/bin/mh lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 1 Jan 6 16:39 /usr/bin/mh -> . [root@grimlock RPMS]# rpm -Uvh exmh* exmh ################################################## [root@grimlock RPMS]# ls -al /usr/bin/mh lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 1 Jan 6 16:39 /usr/bin/mh -> . The link is made by the nmh install scripts, I dont see how having exmh installed makes a difference. Exmh does nt run any scripts. I havent a clue why having mh -> . would ever be useful for any reason. And even if it were, it still seems broken. The script seem to test if the dir or symlink "/usr/bin/mh" doesnt exist, then make the silly symlink. Then does the same thign again before creating the useful link (to nmh...) but of course, its always going to be a symlink then it seems. I dunno, but it seems broken on fresh full installs... Of course, --triggers doesnt seem to show the triggers for the rpms as the man page and --helps suggests it would, but i suppose thats another issue.