[Bug libc/1484] New: ldconfig creates duplicate symlink in /usr/lib

["drow at sources dot redhat dot com" <sourceware-bugzilla at sourceware dot org>]

Suppose you've got these libraries (standard on a Debian system):

lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root     17 Aug 22 22:45 /lib/libncurses.so.5 ->
libncurses.so.5.4
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 373480 Jul 17 16:37 /lib/libncurses.so.5.4
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root     13 Aug 23 18:15 /usr/lib/libtermcap.so -> libncurses.so

Then ldconfig will create, in addition to the /lib symlink above, this symlink:

lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root     13 Oct 14 23:43 /usr/lib/libncurses.so.5 ->
libtermcap.so

That's because it looks at libtermcap.so, sees that it isn't pointing to a file
with SONAME "libtermcap.so<VERSION>", and clears is_link.  So there appears to
be a library in /usr/lib which provides libncurses.so.5, so ldconfig creates the
symlink.

This is not really harmful except to Debian's packaging scripts, which complain
that they can't find a package which provides /usr/lib/libncurses.so.5.  But the
symlink is redundant, and it would be better not to create it.

This message gives some background on the current test:
  http://sourceware.org/ml/libc-alpha/2003-08/msg00120.html

Unfortunately the same thing that's supposed to handle a link named
libc-2.3.2.so also handles a link named libtermcap.so.

We only need a single symlink named "libncurses.so.5" (but for each supported
ELF class / hwcap / et cetera) in all directories ldconfig searches.  But that's
getting a bit too magic.  Is there any way to avoid this excess link?

-- 
           Summary: ldconfig creates duplicate symlink in /usr/lib
           Product: glibc
           Version: 2.3.5
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: libc
        AssignedTo: drepper at redhat dot com
        ReportedBy: drow at sources dot redhat dot com
                CC: glibc-bugs at sources dot redhat dot com
  GCC host triplet: i686-pc-linux-gnu


http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=1484

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