Fedora Core 4 Update: caching-nameserver-7.3-4.FC4

[Craig McLean]

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Tim wrote:
[snip FC updating caching nameserver package]

I wonder if maybe a less vitriolic reply might clear this up?
> 
> When this, and system-config-bind updated, I found this problem:
> 
> ll /etc/named.conf*
> lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root   32 Dec 20 16:15 /etc/named.conf -> /var/named/chroot/etc/named.conf
> lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root   32 Oct 27 12:36 /etc/named.conf.rpmsave -> /var/named/chroot/etc/named.conf

As expected (and explained), the package manager will "mv" (or in this
case, perhaps "cp") the existing config files out of the way. The manual
pages explain that this just creates a new link which still points to
the old file, since cp/mv will only move/copy the *link* to another link
with a different name, but still the same endpoint.
This is one of the big things to get one's head around in any UNIX-like
system, the difference between a "link" and a "file". They are separate
entities.

> Shouldn't the last one link to "named.conf.rpmsave"?  For a moment I
> thought I'd lost my customised version of named.conf.  Luckily it was
> still there, just not where I expected to find it.

No. mv/cp simply moved/copied the link called "/etc/named.conf" to a new
link called "/etc/named.conf.rpmsave" and left it pointing to the same
location, as documented. This is, perhaps, a shortcoming of the RPM
package manager. Perhaps it should be aware of "link enpoints"?
Ultimately, nothing short of raising a bug will do anything about it,
because it performs as documented.

I hope this makes sense. It's doing what it's designed to do. Bugzilla
is your friend if you disagree ;-)

C.

- --
Craig McLean		http://fukka.co.uk
craig at fukka.co.uk	Where the fun never starts
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