LINTIAN

# `postrm-removes-alternative`

`update-alternatives --remove <alternative> foo` is called in the `postrm` maintainer script.

Instead, `update-alternatives --remove` should be called in `prerm`.

Th present command will not work as intended. When `postrm` runs, `foo` was already deleted. `update-alternatives` will then ignore the program while constructing the list of available alternatives.

If the symbolic link in `/etc/alternatives` then still points at `foo`, `update-alternatives` will not recognize it. It will then mark the link as site-specific.

Going forward, the symbolic link will no longer be updated automatically. It will be left dangling until `update-alternatives --auto <alternative>` is run by hand.

Severity: | `warning`
Experimental: | `false`
Renamed from: | `maintainer-script-should-not-use-update-alternatives-remove`

## See also

- Alternative versions of an interface - update-alternatives (from old Packaging Manual) (Appendix appendix-6) in the Debian Policy Manual

- the update-alternatives(8) manual page

- list of all the affected packages
- the source of this tag