how do you update debconf?

[davehathaway@yahoo.com (Dave Hathaway)]

I want to install popfile, but it needs a newer version of debconf
than is installed initially with woody.  apt-get fails by saying the
installed version is the latest.

# apt-get install debconf
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Sorry, debconf is already the newest version.
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1  not
upgraded.


I tried an apt-get update and I also tried downloading the deb package
and installing using dpkg, but get:

# dpkg -i debconf_1.4.30_all.deb
dpkg: regarding debconf_1.4.30_all.deb containing debconf:
 debconf conflicts with dialog (<< 0.9b-20020814-1)
  dialog (version 0.9a-20020309a-1) is installed.
dpkg: error processing debconf_1.4.30_all.deb (--install):
 conflicting packages - not installing debconf
Errors were encountered while processing:
 debconf_1.4.30_all.deb


Hints are gratefully appreciated.

Dave