having a little problem with xbase

["Susan G. Kleinmann" <sgk@sgk.tiac.net>]

Greetings.

I'm having some trouble installing a new version of xbase, and would like
some help. 
I downloaded xbase-3.1.2-2.deb today.  (Currently I have xbase-3.1.1-2 
installed I think; the status line from dpkg says "install hold installed".)
I tried to install the new package, using:
     dpkg --unpack xbase-3.1.2-2.deb
but got an error message saying that dpkg couldn't create a symlink to 
console: File exists.

I'm afraid I will take >2 steps backwards if I simple remove "console" and
try again.  Therefore any other suggestions would be appreciated.  

Thanks in advance.
Susan Kleinmann

The typescript output of my attempt to install xbase is attached below:

Script started on Mon Aug 21 14:28:28 1995
# dpkg --unpack xbase-3.1.2-2.deb
Preparing to replace xbase ...
Unpacking ./xbase-3.1.2-2.deb, containing xbase ...
tar: Could not create symlink to console: File exists
dpkg-deb: subprocess tar returned error exit status 2

Running mkfontdir in /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc... done.
Do you want to create the XFree86 configuration file (y/n) [y]? n
Okay.  To create it at a later date, run `xf86config'.
...
If you want to start the X Window System using `xdm', I can set up the
system so that at boot-time `xdm' is automatically started.
Should I do this (y/n) [y]? n
Okay, not enabling `xdm'.
You may now start the X Window System.

dpkg - error: xbase: failed to install (exit status 2) (skipping this package)
dpkg: 1 errors occurred.
# exit
Script done on Mon Aug 21 14:29:37 1995