[Hackage] #543: cabal requires root privileges in order to modify files in /usr/lib/ghc-6.8.2

[Hackage]

#543: cabal requires root privileges in order to modify files in
/usr/lib/ghc-6.8.2
----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------
  Reporter:  nr             |        Owner:                  
      Type:  defect         |       Status:  new             
  Priority:  normal         |    Milestone:                  
 Component:  Cabal library  |      Version:  1.6.0.1         
  Severity:  normal         |     Keywords:  ghc package.conf
Difficulty:  unknown        |   Ghcversion:  6.8.2           
  Platform:  Linux          |  
----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------
 cabal requires root privileges in order to modify files in
 /usr/lib/ghc-6.8.2.  I'm reporting this as a defect in the tool, since it
 was told to install in /usr/local/cabal, and it seems unreasonable that
 cabal should require root privileges when these are not required for
 installing into its target directory.

 I am less well informed about the Linux Filesystem Standard, but I believe
 that files in /usr/lib are supposed to be immutable.  If I'm correct,
 cabal is violating that standard in a major way.  If you must have a
 mutable {{{package.conf}}}, put it in {{{/var/lib/ghc-6.8.2}}}, and make
 it group writable by a suitable group (which you may need to create).
 I'm cc-ing ghc-devel on this one because the two groups will probably have
 to cooperate.

 {{{
 : nr at homedog 5548 ; cabal install graphmod
 Resolving dependencies...
 Downloading dotgen-0.2...
 Configuring dotgen-0.2...
 Preprocessing library dotgen-0.2...
 Building dotgen-0.2...
 [1 of 1] Compiling Text.Dot         ( Text/Dot.hs, dist/build/Text/Dot.o )
 /usr/bin/ar: creating dist/build/libHSdotgen-0.2.a
 Installing library in /usr/local/cabal/lib/dotgen-0.2/ghc-6.8.2
 Registering dotgen-0.2...
 Reading package info from "dist/installed-pkg-config" ... done.
 Unable to rename "/usr/lib/ghc-6.8.2/package.conf" to
 "/usr/lib/ghc-6.8.2/package.conf.old"
 Saving old package config file... ghc-pkg.bin:
 /usr/lib/ghc-6.8.2/package.conf: renameFile: permission denied (Permission
 denied)

 Downloading haskell-lexer-1.0...
 Configuring haskell-lexer-1.0...
 Preprocessing library haskell-lexer-1.0...
 Building haskell-lexer-1.0...
 [1 of 6] Compiling Language.Haskell.Lexer.Position (
 Language/Haskell/Lexer/Position.hs,
 dist/build/Language/Haskell/Lexer/Position.o )

 Language/Haskell/Lexer/Position.hs:25:4:
     Warning: Pattern match(es) are overlapped
              In a case alternative: '\n' -> ...
 [2 of 6] Compiling Language.Haskell.Lexer.Tokens (
 Language/Haskell/Lexer/Tokens.hs,
 dist/build/Language/Haskell/Lexer/Tokens.o )
 [3 of 6] Compiling Language.Haskell.Lexer.Utils (
 Language/Haskell/Lexer/Utils.hs, dist/build/Language/Haskell/Lexer/Utils.o
 )
 [4 of 6] Compiling Language.Haskell.Lexer.Lex (
 Language/Haskell/Lexer/Lex.hs, dist/build/Language/Haskell/Lexer/Lex.o )
 [5 of 6] Compiling Language.Haskell.Lexer.Layout (
 Language/Haskell/Lexer/Layout.hs,
 dist/build/Language/Haskell/Lexer/Layout.o )
 [6 of 6] Compiling Language.Haskell.Lexer ( Language/Haskell/Lexer.hs,
 dist/build/Language/Haskell/Lexer.o )
 /usr/bin/ar: creating dist/build/libHShaskell-lexer-1.0.a
 Installing library in /usr/local/cabal/lib/haskell-lexer-1.0/ghc-6.8.2
 Registering haskell-lexer-1.0...
 Reading package info from "dist/installed-pkg-config" ... done.
 Unable to rename "/usr/lib/ghc-6.8.2/package.conf" to
 "/usr/lib/ghc-6.8.2/package.conf.old"
 Saving old package config file... ghc-pkg.bin:
 /usr/lib/ghc-6.8.2/package.conf: renameFile: permission denied (Permission
 denied)

 cabal: Error: some packages failed to install:
 dotgen-0.2 failed during the final install step. The exception was:
 exit: ExitFailure 1
 graphmod-1.1.3 depends on haskell-lexer-1.0 which failed to install.
 haskell-lexer-1.0 failed during the final install step. The exception was:
 exit: ExitFailure 1
 : nr at homedog 5549 ;
 }}}

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://hackage.haskell.org/trac/hackage/ticket/543>
Hackage <http://haskell.org/cabal/>
Hackage: Cabal and related projects