Re: contention for /usr/lib64 in libc6 and base-files

[Kurt Roeckx <Q@ping.be>]

On Fri, Dec 17, 2004 at 02:50:03PM -0800, Larry Doolittle wrote:
> If I try to install (update) libc6, I get
> 
> dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.3.2.ds1-19.0.0.1.pure64_amd64.deb (--unpack):
>  trying to overwrite `/usr/lib64', which is also in package base-files
> 
> If I try to install (update) base-files, I get
> 
> The following packages have unmet dependencies:
>   base-files: PreDepends: libc6 (>= 2.3.2.ds1-19.0.0.1.pure64) but 2.3.2.ds1-19 is to be installed
>   libc6-dev: Depends: libc6 (= 2.3.2.ds1-19.0.0.1.pure64) but 2.3.2.ds1-19 is to be installed
> E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).


If you're using the pure64 archive it's safe to use the
--force-overwrite dpkg option to fix this:
dpkg --force-overwrite -i /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.3.2.ds1-19.0.0.1.pure64_amd64.deb

You'll also need to do this for the base-files package which will
give you the same warning.


> I understand from reading e.g.,
>   http://lists.debian.org/debian-amd64/2004/12/msg00318.html
> that some of these links are critical for the system's operation,
> so I don't want to charge ahead without some idea where I'm going.

That was an older version of the base-files package which just
didn't have the symlinks in it.  This new version was supposed
not to have them in it either but unfortunaly does have them.  So
they now end up with 2 package that provide them.

It was supposed to transition properly from the link in the
base-files packages to the libc6 pacakge but as you can see this
failed.

There are 2 reasons for this:
- The base-files package still has the symlinks left.
- The libc6 package does not say it's replacing the files from
  base-files.  When we tested this worked for us because we have
  a version of dpkg that has a /etc/dpkg/dpkg.conf file that
  turns on force-overwrite by default.  It looks like it only
  installs that file on new installations of dpkg.

So this will require us to change both packages again.


Kurt