[Bug 189375] Re: "Use of uninitialized value" with "--remove" and non-existent link in /usr/bin

[Bug Watch Updater]

** Changed in: dpkg (Debian)
       Status: Unknown => Fix Released

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to dpkg in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/189375

Title:
  "Use of uninitialized value" with "--remove" and non-existent link in
  /usr/bin

Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “dpkg” package in Debian:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: dpkg

  While removing epiphany-gecko (and others):

  Removing epiphany-gecko ...
  Use of uninitialized value in string eq at /usr/sbin/update-alternatives line 488.

  The code in update-alternatives is as follows (line 488 marked with "_" at the beginning):
  if ($action eq 'remove') {
      my $hits = 0;
  _    if ($mode eq "manual" and $state ne "expected" and (map { $hits += $apath eq $_ } @versions) and $hits and $linkname eq $apath) {
          &pr(_g("Removing manually selected alternative - switching to auto mode"));
          $mode = "auto";
      }

  The code in epiphany-gecko's prerm looks as follows:
  if [ "$1" = "remove" ] || [ "$1" = "deconfigure" ] ; then
      for alt in epiphany-browser x-www-browser gnome-www-browser; do
          update-alternatives --remove $alt /usr/bin/epiphany-gecko
      done
  fi

  This was not reproducible by installing and purging epiphany-gecko
  again.

  It boils down to:
  sudo update-alternatives --remove gnome-www-browser /usr/bin/epiphany-gecko
  where then $linkname is the uninitialized variable.

  $ LANG=C sudo update-alternatives --display gnome-www-browser
  gnome-www-browser - status is manual.
   link currently absent
  /usr/bin/firefox - priority 70
   slave gnome-www-browser.1.gz: /usr/share/man/man1/firefox.1.gz
  Current `best' version is /usr/bin/firefox.

  I'll attach a patch which checks if $linkname is defined when testing
  for it in the code block quoted above.

  This is with dpkg 1.14.15ubuntu1 in Ubuntu Hardy. If I remember
  correctly, I have configured firefox as the default browser in Gnome.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dpkg/+bug/189375/+subscriptions