diff -up man-1.6f/src/makewhatis.sh.whispath man-1.6f/src/makewhatis.sh
--- man-1.6f/src/makewhatis.sh.whispath	2009-02-12 14:22:51.000000000 +0100
+++ man-1.6f/src/makewhatis.sh	2009-02-12 14:28:19.000000000 +0100
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ done
 DEFCATPATH=$dc
 
 # make a single big /var/cache/man/whatis file,
-DEFWHATIS=/var/cache/man/whatis
+DEFWHATISDIR=/var/cache/man
+DEFWHATIS=$DEFWHATISDIR/whatis
 
 AWK=@awk@
 
@@ -183,20 +184,20 @@ do
 	mandir1=$mandir
      fi
 
-     # if $mandir is on a readonly partition, and the whatis file
+     # if $DEFWHATISDIR is on a readonly partition, and the whatis file
      # is not a symlink, then let's skip trying to update it
-     if [ ! -L ${mandir1}/whatis ]
+     if [ ! -L $DEFWHATIS ]
      then
-	if [ -e ${mandir1}/whatis ] && [ ! -w ${mandir1}/whatis ]
+	if [ -e $DEFWHATIS ] && [ ! -w $DEFWHATIS ]
 	then
 	   if [ x$verbose != x ]; then
-	      echo skipping $mandir - whatis file is readonly > /dev/stderr
+	      echo skipping $DEFWHATISDIR - whatis file is readonly > /dev/stderr
 	   fi
 	   continue
-	elif [ ! -e ${mandir1}/whatis ] && [ ! -w ${mandir1} ]
+	elif [ ! -e $DEFWHATIS ] && [ ! -w $DEFWHATISDIR ]
 	then
 	   if [ x$verbose != x ]; then
-	      echo skipping $mandir - directory is readonly > /dev/stderr
+	      echo skipping $DEFWHATISDIR - directory is readonly > /dev/stderr
 	   fi
 	   continue
 	fi