Bizarre issue with symbolic links

[Benson Margulies]

I have 21.5 beta 28 (the last tarball?) install on ubuntu gutsy gibbon
in /opt/xemacs.

It runs fine as /opt/xemacs/bin/xemacs. -- that is, after I installed a
sumo. The package manager refused to run, and README.packages is missing
entirely from that tarball.

If I do:

ln -s /opt/xemacs/bin/xemacs /usr/local/bin
/usr/local/bin/xemacs

I get:

temacs can only be run in -batch mode.

Surely something is jesting with me.