Ultrix 4.1 still has the mv/rename symlink bug?

[Scott Paisley]

In article <LIBOVE.91Jan30105821 at libove.det.dec.com> libove at libove.det.dec.com (Jay Vassos-Libove) writes:

>   Actually, this is probably a feature you are seeing... If you execute

> % ln -s foo bar

> then you are making the file "bar" point to a file "foo" _in the current
> directory_ - wherever that current directory is located at the time of
> reference to the file bar.

*Whoa!*

> Script started on Wed Jan 30 10:52:39 1991
> % cd /tmp
> % mkdir a foo
> % ln -s foo bar
> % # so now /tmp/foo is a pointer to ./bar - where ./ varies as you cd!

So, you are saying that the link is really *dynamic*?  That's weird.
I can't think of a case where I would want that or could use it.  I
wouldn't call this a feature at all.  It's confusing.

> % cd a
> % mkdir xxx

Change this to "% touch xxx"

> % mv xxx /tmp/bar/xxx
> mv: /tmp/bar/xxx: rename: No such file or directory
> % # as expected, since /tmp/a/bar does not exist

I wouldn't expect this.  If that's true, then it shouldn't matter that
xxx is a file or a directory.  Try the 'mv' when 'xxx' is a file.  The
mv works when xxx is a file.  If your reasoning was true, shouldn't it
apply to files as well as directories?

Straighten me out here, I think it's a bug.  This works on my sun
3/80 (SunOS 4.1).

---
*Experience to Extremes*   		    -Rush from 'the enemy within'

Scott Paisley        paisley at cme.nist.gov      ..!uunet!cme-durer!paisley