trial upgrade of base system

[Bill Mitchell <mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com>]

I downloaded new packages today, and tried "dpkg --install *.deb"
for the base packages on top of my working system (a hodgepodge
of 0.93R6 and 1.1).  Is this the sort of thing which users upgrading
a 0.93R6 installation or a hodgepodge installation such as mine
can expect to see?  If so, they'll probably  need a cribsheet to
help them deal with some of this.

Script started on Sat Apr  6 10:23:59 1996
root:base# dpkg --install *
(Reading database ... 15367 files and directories currently installed.)
[...]
Unpacking replacement base ...
dpkg: error processing base.deb (--install):
 trying to overwrite `/dev/MAKEDEV', which is also in package miscutils
[...]
Unpacking replacement image ...
dpkg: error processing image.deb (--install):
 trying to overwrite `/usr/doc/copyright/linux', which is also in package source
A new kernel image has been installed. Running the LILO installation...
[...]
Preparing to replace kbd (using kbd.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement kbd ...
dpkg: error processing kbd.deb (--install):
 trying to overwrite `/usr/man/man4/console.4', which is also in package manpages
Preparing to replace ldso (using ldso.deb) ...

You are using the binfmt_elf module to support ELF binaries.  This will
not work because the system programs required to load the modules will
themselves be ELF binaries.

[  "This will not work."  Scarey message.
   I was running a kernal from image-1.2.13-7, but I also had binfmt_elf
   listed in /etc/modules.  That kernel has elf support built in, and I
   needed to remove the spurious mention of binfmt-elf from /etc/modules.
   That's a naive user error during debian install.
   Would a naive know what to do about this message?
   Perhaps it'd be better to advise that the kernel must be compiled
   with elf support built in, and that /etc/modules should not mention
   binfmt/elf.
]

dpkg: error processing ldso.deb (--install):
 subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
Expect some cache has wrong version warnings if upgrading
to version 1.7.x for the first time.
mv: `ld.so.1.7.14' and `ld.so' are the same file
mv: `ld-linux.so.1.7.14' and `ld-linux.so.1' are the same file
mv: ldconfig.new: No such file or directory
dpkg: regarding libc5.deb containing libc5, pre-dependency problem:
 libc5 pre-depends on ldso (>=1.7.14-2)
  ldso is installed, but is version 1.7.14-2.
dpkg: error processing libc5.deb (--install):
 pre-dependency problem - not installing libc5
[...]
dpkg: error processing miscutil.deb (--install):
 trying to overwrite `/dev/MAKEDEV', which is also in package base
[...]
dpkg: error processing modules.deb (--install):
 trying to overwrite `/usr/man/man2/modules.2', which is also in package manpages
Preparing to replace mount (using mount.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement mount ...
dpkg: error processing mount.deb (--install):
 trying to overwrite `/usr/man/man5/fstab.5', which is also in package manpages
dpkg: regarding ncurbase.deb containing ncurses-base:
 ncurses-base conflicts with ncurses-runtime
  ncurses-runtime (version 1.9.7a-1) is installed.
dpkg: error processing ncurbase.deb (--install):
 conflicting packages - not installing ncurses-base
[...]
Preparing to replace sysvinit (using sysvinit.deb) ...
Saving GMT setting from /etc/init.d/boot ..

Dpkg might ask you if you want the new configuration files in /etc/init.d.
This is generally a good idea, unless you have really changed any of these
files. The GMT setting in /etc/init.d/boot will be saved anyway.

[  is this what the error message was intended to say?
   perhaps "really changed" was meant to say "not changed"?
]

Unpacking replacement sysvinit ...
dpkg: error processing sysvinit.deb (--install):
 trying to overwrite `/usr/bin/mesg', which is also in package bsdutils
You have a single user entry in /etc/inittab -- good.
mkdir: cannot make directory `/var/logs/news': No such file or directory
dpkg: error processing syslogd (--install):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 base.deb
 image.deb
 kbd.deb
 ldso.deb
 libc5.deb
 miscutil.deb
 modules.deb
 mount.deb
 ncurbase.deb
 sysvinit.deb
root:base# exit

Script done on Sat Apr  6 10:38:32 1996


mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com (Bill Mitchell)