[Bug 1743452] [NEW] Symlinks under $GOROOT break godoc

[Dave Rolsky]

Public bug reported:

If I attempt to run `godoc -http=:6060` I get this error:

    2018/01/15 13:56:07 godoc: corpus fstree is nil

Some googling brought me to this go core bug -
https://github.com/golang/go/issues/15049

On closing the bug, Russ Cox says "I think this is basically working as
intended. Every time anyone tries to make godoc do more with symlinks it
ends up chasing its own tail. Symlinks in Go file trees should just be
disallowed, honestly."

Of course, I realize that the symlinks are there to put things where the
FHS says they should be, but Go knows the one true way to do everything,
and it says "don't do that". And since it's Go, not only does it say
"don't do that", it breaks in the presence of it and will never be
changed to work any other way.

In this case, I think getting godoc to work trumps the FHS.

I'm sure this applies to other golang-1.X packages too, but I haven't
looked at them.

** Affects: golang-1.9 (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to golang-1.9 in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1743452

Title:
  Symlinks under $GOROOT break godoc

Status in golang-1.9 package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  If I attempt to run `godoc -http=:6060` I get this error:

      2018/01/15 13:56:07 godoc: corpus fstree is nil

  Some googling brought me to this go core bug -
  https://github.com/golang/go/issues/15049

  On closing the bug, Russ Cox says "I think this is basically working
  as intended. Every time anyone tries to make godoc do more with
  symlinks it ends up chasing its own tail. Symlinks in Go file trees
  should just be disallowed, honestly."

  Of course, I realize that the symlinks are there to put things where
  the FHS says they should be, but Go knows the one true way to do
  everything, and it says "don't do that". And since it's Go, not only
  does it say "don't do that", it breaks in the presence of it and will
  never be changed to work any other way.

  In this case, I think getting godoc to work trumps the FHS.

  I'm sure this applies to other golang-1.X packages too, but I haven't
  looked at them.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/golang-1.9/+bug/1743452/+subscriptions