ln: `//tools': File exists

satimis · 07-17-2005, 11:51 PM

Hi folks,

LFS 6.1
(FC3 Host)

4.2. Creating the $LFS/tools Directory
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/...gtoolsdir.html

[root@localhost ~]# ln -s $LFS/tools /
ln: `//tools': File exists

I looked at
[root@localhost ~]# info coreutils ln
[root@localhost ~]# info coreutils ln 1

both looking more or less the same. I can't understand

Code:

File: coreutils.info,  Node: ln invocation,  Next: mkdir invocation,  Prev: link invocation,  Up: Special file types

12.2 `ln': Make links between files
===================================

`ln' makes links between files.  By default, it makes hard links; with
the `-s' option, it makes symbolic (or "soft") links.  Synopses:

     ln [OPTION]... TARGET [LINKNAME]
     ln [OPTION]... TARGET... DIRECTORY

   * If the last argument names an existing directory, `ln' creates a
     link to each TARGET file in that directory, using the TARGETs'
     names.  (But see the description of the `--no-dereference' option
     below.)

   * If two filenames are given, `ln' creates a link from the second to
     the first.

   * If one TARGET is given, `ln' creates a link to that file in the
     current directory.
.......
....

[root@localhost ~]# info coreutils ln(1)
-bash: syntax error near unexpected token `('
[root@localhost ~]# info coreutils ln (1)
-bash: syntax error near unexpected token `('

Please help me to understand it. Is it a error? TIA

B.R.
satimis

B.R.
satimis

CroMagnon · 07-18-2005, 04:07 AM

When you see something like this:

For info, see ln(1)

It is referring to the man page, not the info text. The (1) refers to the manual section, which you can specify like this: man 1 ln
This is only important when multiple sections might exist for the same word. "socket" is one such - you can see man 2 socket and man 7 socket are different.

For the error though, it appears that you already have a "tools" file or folder in your root directory. By any chance, is $LFS set to "/"? You should definitely NOT be using "/" to build your LFS system unless you are positive you know what you're doing.

satimis · 07-18-2005, 04:45 AM

Hi CroMagnon,

Tks for your advice.

Quote:

For the error though, it appears that you already have a "tools" file or folder in your root directory. By any chance, is $LFS set to "/"? You should definitely NOT be using "/" to build your LFS system unless you are positive you know what you're doing.

[root@localhost ~]# ls -l /tools

Code:

lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root 15 Jun 28 17:06 /tools -> //mnt/lfs/tools

It is symbolic linked to /tools. I'm building LFS 6.1 on its own partition, not on '/' of the FC3 Host

Move on and have further discovery;
4.3. Adding the LFS User
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/...ddinguser.html

[root@localhost ~]# groupadd lfs

Code:

groupadd: group lfs exists

[root@localhost ~]# useradd -s /bin/bash -g lfs -m -k /dev/null lfs

Code:

useradd: user lfs exists

[root@localhost ~]# cat /etc/group | grep lfs

Code:

lfs:x:501:

It is already there. I think that this is another residue left behind during building LFS 6.0 previously

How to check the command "useradd -s /bin/bash -g lfs -m -k /dev/null lfs" ?

Can I skip "passwd lfs" and move on to
[root@localhost ~]# chown lfs $LFS/tools
[root@localhost ~]# chown lfs $LFS/sources
[root@localhost ~]# su - lfs
etc.

TIA

B.R.
satimis

CroMagnon · 07-18-2005, 05:06 AM

Yep, looks like you're right - you have some leftovers from an older build. You can "rm /tools" and re-run the ln command to get past that. You can choose to either remove and re-create the lfs user (userdel or deluser should work), or you can just edit /etc/passwd and make sure the home directory is set correctly for the new build.

satimis · 07-18-2005, 05:21 AM

Hi CroMagnon,

Tks for your advice. I'll leave them as they are.

Quote:

You can choose to either remove and re-create the lfs user (userdel or deluser should work), or you can just edit /etc/passwd and make sure the home directory is set correctly for the new build.

# cat /etc/passwd

Code:

root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
bin:x:1:1:bin:/bin:/sbin/nologin
daemon:x:2:2:daemon:/sbin:/sbin/nologin
adm:x:3:4:adm:/var/adm:/sbin/nologin
lp:x:4:7:lp:/var/spool/lpd:/sbin/nologin
sync:x:5:0:sync:/sbin:/bin/sync
shutdown:x:6:0:shutdown:/sbin:/sbin/shutdown
halt:x:7:0:halt:/sbin:/sbin/halt
......
....
operator:x:11:0:operator:/root:/sbin/nologin
gopher:x:13:30:gopher:/var/gopher:/sbin/nologin
ftp:x:14:50:FTP User:/var/ftp:/sbin/nologin
nobody:x:99:99:Nobody:/:/sbin/nologin
dbus:x:81:81:System message bus:/:/sbin/nologin
vcsa:x:69:69:virtual console memory owner:/dev:/sbin/nologin
nscd:x:28:28:NSCD Daemon:/:/sbin/nologin
rpm:x:37:37::/var/lib/rpm:/sbin/nologin
....
...
smmsp:x:51:51::/var/spool/mqueue:/sbin/nologin
pcap:x:77:77::/var/arpwatch:/sbin/nologin
....
...
gdm:x:42:42::/var/gdm:/sbin/nologin
....
lfs:x:501:501::/home/lfs:/bin/bash

"lfs:x:501:501::/home/lfs:/bin/bash" is there. I'll leave it untouched, skipping
[root@localhost ~]passwd lfs

and move on to
[root@localhost ~]# chown lfs $LFS/tools
[root@localhost ~]# chown lfs $LFS/sources
[root@localhost ~]# su - lfs
etc.

B.R.
satimis