Ignore error of "update-alternatives --remove" in postrm

[Daniel Hahler]

Binary package hint: kubuntu-default-settings

In ubuntu-default-settings.postrm the following gets done:
case "$1" in
  remove|deconfigure|failed-upgrade)
    echo Unsetting kubuntu as default mouse cursor theme ...
    update-alternatives --remove x-cursor-theme \
        /usr/share/icons/kubuntu/index.theme
  ;;

This caused problems on my system, after I've forcefully moved /usr/X11R6/lib away (as it seemed obsolete), but /var/lib/dpkg/alternatives/x-cursor-theme has the following content:
-------------
auto
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/icons/default/index.theme

/usr/share/icons/DMZ-White/cursor.theme
50
/usr/share/icons/DMZ-Black/cursor.theme
30
-------------

Because of this, update-alternative failed:
update-alternatives: unable to make /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/icons/default/index.theme.dpkg-tmp a symlink to /etc/alternatives/x-cursor-theme: No such file or directory

But this is not a problem of/for kubuntu-default-settings and therefore the error should get ignored.

I'll provide a patch to fix this.

[Daniel Hahler (blueyed)]

There appears to be another bug somewhere though, which caused /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/icons/default/index.theme to stay there (though obsolete?).

If I remember correctly, I've noticed that it is "obsolete", after purging kubuntu-default-settings (or another package) and dpkg told me that it does not delete the directories, because they are not empty.

[Daniel Hahler (blueyed)]

I've created a bug task for dpkg, too, because I think it should handle the situation better.
For the record, it fails in the following last block of the last "$mode eq 'auto'" code:
            checked_alternative($sname, $slink, $spath);
            checked_symlink("$spath", "$altdir/$sname.dpkg-tmp");
            checked_mv("$altdir/$sname.dpkg-tmp", "$altdir/$sname");

[Daniel Hahler (blueyed)]

Updated the changelog, so that it refers to bug 65021, which this patch fixes, too. (I've just found that bug being reported already)

[Daniel Hahler (blueyed)]

Should I create/publish a branch for this to get this integrated?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package kubuntu-default-settings - 1:8.04-13

---------------
kubuntu-default-settings (1:8.04-13) hardy; urgency=low

  [ Jonathan Riddell ]
  * Set style to qtcurve in kde-rc-files/kdeglobals

  [ Daniel Hahler ]
  * debian/kubuntu-default-settings.postrm:
    - Do not bail out if "update-alternatives --remove" fails (LP: #194101)
    - Add no-op case for "upgrade" action and mention unknown action in
      catch-all case (LP: #65021)
  * German translation for konqueror-profile/email.desktop

 -- Anthony Mercatante <email address hidden> Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:29:03 +0100

[Daniel Holbach (dholbach)]

Unsubscribing ums until there's a patch for dpkg.

[Raphaël Hertzog (hertzog)]

update-alternatives rightfully fails if the directory where the alternative must be installed doesn't exist. I don't see any improvement idea here. Besides update-alternatives has been rewritten and made more sensible in many situations since the time this bug has been reported.