cycle between ncurses/termcap linker scripts

As far as I can tell, the /usr/lib/libncurses.so.5 symlink, which is the problem, was created by ldconfig pre 5.9-1ubuntu1, and wasn't deleted when 5.9-1ubuntu1 turned /usr/lib/libncurses.so into a linker script.

ldconfig doesn't appear to delete symlinks in this case (if it does at all, I don't know it in that detail)

On Sun, 28 Aug 2011, Julian Taylor wrote:

> Public bug reported:
>
> libncurses.so.5 is a link to libtermcap. libtermcap.so is a linker
> script linking back to libncurses.so.5
>
> $ ll /usr/lib/libncurses.so.5
> lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 13 2011-08-18 19:24 /usr/lib/libncurses.so.5 -> libtermcap.so

that's always incorrect (the reverse can be usable)

> $ cat /usr/lib/libtermcap.so
> INPUT(libncurses.so.5 -ltinfo)
>
> This creates problems when linking:
>
> //compile with gcc file -lncurses
> char use_default_colors ();
> int
> main ()
> {
> return use_default_colors ();
> }
> gcc file -lncurses
> /usr/bin/ld: cannot open linker script file /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/4..6.1/../../../../lib/libncurses.so.5: Too many open files
> collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
> Package: libncurses5 5.9-1ubuntu2
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-9.14-generic 3.0.3
> Uname: Linux 3.0.0-9-generic x86_64
> NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
> Architecture: amd64
> Date: Sun Aug 28 22:25:01 2011
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Alpha amd64 (20110805)
> ProcEnviron:
> LANGUAGE=en_US:en
> PATH=(custom, user)
> LANG=en_US.UTF-8
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> SourcePackage: ncurses
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> ** Affects: ncurses (Ubuntu)
> Importance: High
> Status: Confirmed
>
>
> ** Tags: amd64 apport-bug oneiric running-unity
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to ncurses
> in Ubuntu.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/836246
>
> Title:
> cycle between ncurses/termcap linker scripts
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ncurses/+bug/836246/+subscriptions
>

--
Thomas E. Dickey
http://invisible-island.net
ftp://invisible-island.net

Is there a fix for this? can I just delete the symlink, and then re-install libncurses?

Hmm.. removing libncurses-dev, and re-installing libncurses-dev and libncurses seems to solve the problem.

Julian, can you confirm?

Doko said he'd fix it.

pending in the unapproved queue

This bug was fixed in the package ncurses - 5.9-1ubuntu3

---------------
ncurses (5.9-1ubuntu3) oneiric; urgency=low

  * Remove obsolete /usr/lib/libncurses.so.5, left by ldconfig. LP: #836246.
 -- Matthias Klose <email address hidden> Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:58:07 +0200