[yocto] Errors with update-rc.d: /etc/init.d/XXX exists during rc.d purge (use -f to force)

[Stath, Paul]

Richard --

My "workaround" was a little less drastic than yours.  (grin)

Before upgrading to the new package via 'dpkg -i', I would edit the postrm script in /var/lib/dpkg/info/<pkg-name>,postrm, adding the "-f" argument to "force" the symlink removal, as suggested by the error message.

Then the upgrade install works correctly.  (With only a warning from the postrm script of the previous package.)

I believe that the issue is that when installing a package over an earlier release, dpkg performs the following steps:

1) Extract control files of new package
2) Execute "prerm" script of previous package if applicable.
3) Execute "preinst" script of new package.
4) Unpack new files and backup old files.
5) Execute "postrm" script of previous package if applicable.
6) Configure the package

When installing a newer version of the package, the "postrm" in step 5 fails, because the initscript from the new package is extracted in step 4, and update-rc.d w/o the "-f" argument exits with a non-zero return code.

I would argue that the "updatercd_postrm()" stanza in the update-rc.d.bbclass should include the "-f" flag.
(Anyone on the list want to chime in on this?)

In the meantime, I have added my own "updatercd_postrm()" stanza in the .bbappend file for the package I'm having issues with, which overrides the one provided by update-rc.d.bbclass.

updatercd_postrm() {
       update-rc.d $D -f ${INITSCRIPT_NAME} remove
}

--
Paul Stath
Axxcelera Broadband Wireless

>From: Richard Leitner - SKIDATA [Richard.Leitner at skidata.com]
>Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2013 11:02 AM
>To: Stath, Paul
>Cc: Yocto Project Discussion ML (yocto at yoctoproject.org)
>Subject: RE: Errors with update-rc.d: /etc/init.d/XXX exists during rc.d purge (use -f to force)
>
>Hi Paul,
>good to hear I'm not the only one suffering from this issue...
>No, I've received no response on the mailing list yet, but maybe someone has a hint for us now?
> 
>The only "workaround" I found is to purge the package and afterwards install the new version.
>I know this is a really dirty workaround, but it's the only "solution" I found.
>
>Have you discovered any other workarounds, Paul?
>
>regards
>Richard
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Stath, Paul [mailto:PStath at Axxcelera.com]
>>Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2013 4:49 PM
>>To: Richard Leitner - SKIDATA
>>Subject: RE: Errors with update-rc.d: /etc/init.d/XXX exists during rc.d purge (use -f to force)
>>
>>Richard --
>>
>>I am also getting the "update-rc.d: /etc/init.d/XXX exists during rc.d purge"  error when I attempt to install a newer version of one of my packages.
>>
>>It doesn't look like you received any response to your post to the yocto mailing list.
>>
>>Did you get any response, or did you discover a workaround?
>>
>>--
>>Paul Stath
>>Axxcelera Broadband Wireless