10916 2017-01-12 10:31:46 +0000 lib/oe/rootfs: alternative symlinks not reliably removed 2017-01-18 16:11:46 +0000 1 1 7 Build System, Metadata & Runtime OE-Core deployment unspecified x86 Multiple RESOLVED FIXED High normal 2.3 M2 1 byo byo randy.macleod ross.burton --- --- No (bug/feature does not impact docs) oldest_to_newest 69744 0 byo 2017-01-12 10:31:46 +0000 When removing unneeded packages from a (read-only) rootfs during rootfs creation, alternative symlinks from those packages may or may not be removed. The reason is as follows: update-alternatives(-native) is used during package installation as part of the image creation. It uses a database which contains entries for all the alternative symlinks possible, and the -native version uses the target's database by means of $OPKG_OFFLINE_ROOT, i.e. the rootfs we're in the process of creating. Once the rootfs has been created, OE removes certain packages because we have a read-only rootfs - in particular ROOTFS_RO_UNNEEDED which includes VIRTUAL-RUNTIME_update-alternatives, i.e. the update-alternatives. Recently, a change was made in OE, where uninstallation of update-alternatives from the rootfs causes removal of its database, too, to save space (700KiB (uncompressed) in a busybox system) b24a63d71b517af701dfedbc7f7b541d25af708f http://git.openembedded.org/openembedded-core/commit/meta/recipes-devtools/opkg-utils/opkg-utils_git.bb?id=b24a63d71b517af701dfedbc7f7b541d25af708f Following from that, if update-alternatives is removed from the target file system, update-alternatives-native has no database anymore, meaning it can't manage any of the alternative symlinks anymore. Because the order of packages to uninstall is non-deterministic, and update-alternatives could well be removed before any packages that use the mechanism provided, sometimes the extra symlinks are removed, sometimes not. 69746 1 byo 2017-01-12 10:37:55 +0000 patch submitted http://lists.openembedded.org/pipermail/openembedded-core/2017-January/131021.html 69880 2 byo 2017-01-18 10:46:23 +0000 I'm not sure why I'm the assignee here, but my suggested patch has been merged into master http://git.openembedded.org/openembedded-core/commit/?id=5263dd3eac9d9fbdb7ef654d0cd532c192baed16 I'm not sure about the bugzilla process you use, so reassigning 69883 3 ross.burton 2017-01-18 11:28:31 +0000 You were the assignee as you wrote the patch. :) 69886 4 byo 2017-01-18 12:27:01 +0000 OK, thanks Ross. What about the (origin) 'in review' status. I shouldn't be reviewing my own patches, I think? 69887 5 ross.burton 2017-01-18 12:30:36 +0000 It was assigned to you as you submitted the patch. In review status means the patch is on the list being reviewed.