Bug#776251: ack-grep fails to install due to diversion problem

[Axel Beckert]

Hi,

this seems more or less the same issue as
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ack-grep/+bug/1385390

Olivier Schwander wrote:
> ack-grep fails to install pretending `/usr/bin/ack' is diverted by
> `/usr/bin/ack-grep' although the /usr/bin/ack file does not exist:
[...]
> It works well after manullay removing the diversion:

The package never used a diversion. That diversion must have been made
by the local admin and hence can be regarded as a non-package issue.

> $ dpkg-divert --list "*ack*"
> local diversion of /usr/bin/ack-grep to /usr/bin/ack
  ^^^^^

... which backs my assumption that a _local_ diversion (i.e. none made
by a package) is the cause.

I tend to close this issue as invalid/wontfix since the cause is a
local (common(*) but so far unsupported) modification of the package.
IMHO it has nothing to do with the package itself.

But I'd like to hear comments from others from others (especially the
Debian Perl Team and the Release Team) first, too.

If they agree, I can imagine to add a diversion detection and then
removal to ack-grep's preinst script despite the package never used a
diversion. But I'm a) unsure if it's ok for a package to remove a
_local_ diversion, and b) if it's a good idea to introduce such a
change that late in the freeze.

(*) Due to the Kanji converter ack[1], Debian was forced to rename the
    later introduced grep-like tool also called "ack" to "ack-grep".
    It soon was more popular than the Kanji converter and many admins
    used dpkg-divert to rename ack-grep back to ack. Which is
    perfectly ok, but not supported by the package. At some point
    upstream even seem to have recommended to use such a diversion[2],
    despite he nowadays recommends a simple symlink[3].

[1] https://packages.qa.debian.org/a/ack.html
[2] https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ack-grep/+bug/1385390/comments/3
[3] http://beyondgrep.com/documentation/ack-2.14-man.html#faq

		Regards, Axel
-- 
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