Bug#581915: astk and nmh: error when trying to install together

[Ralf Treinen]

Package: nmh,astk
Version: nmh/1.3-1
Version: astk/1.8.0-1
Severity: serious
User: treinen at debian.org
Usertags: edos-file-overwrite

Date: 2010-05-17
Architecture: amd64
Distribution: sid

Hi,

automatic installation tests of packages that share a file and at the
same time do not conflict by their package dependency relationships has
detected the following problem:


WARNING: The following packages cannot be authenticated!
  x11-common liblockfile1 ucf ttf-dejavu-core fontconfig-config libfreetype6
  libfontconfig1 libxau6 libxdmcp6 libxcb1 libx11-data libx11-6 libxext6
  libxrender1 libxft2 libxss1 nmh tcl8.5 tk8.5 astk
Preconfiguring packages ...
Authentication warning overridden.
Can not write log, openpty() failed (/dev/pts not mounted?)
Selecting previously deselected package x11-common.
(Reading database ... 12206 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking x11-common (from .../x11-common_1%3a7.5+6_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package liblockfile1.
Unpacking liblockfile1 (from .../liblockfile1_1.08-4_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package ucf.
Unpacking ucf (from .../archives/ucf_3.0025_all.deb) ...
Moving old data out of the way
Selecting previously deselected package ttf-dejavu-core.
Unpacking ttf-dejavu-core (from .../ttf-dejavu-core_2.30-2_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package fontconfig-config.
Unpacking fontconfig-config (from .../fontconfig-config_2.8.0-2.1_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libfreetype6.
Unpacking libfreetype6 (from .../libfreetype6_2.3.11-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libfontconfig1.
Unpacking libfontconfig1 (from .../libfontconfig1_2.8.0-2.1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libxau6.
Unpacking libxau6 (from .../libxau6_1%3a1.0.5-2_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libxdmcp6.
Unpacking libxdmcp6 (from .../libxdmcp6_1%3a1.0.3-2_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libxcb1.
Unpacking libxcb1 (from .../libxcb1_1.6-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libx11-data.
Unpacking libx11-data (from .../libx11-data_2%3a1.3.3-3_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libx11-6.
Unpacking libx11-6 (from .../libx11-6_2%3a1.3.3-3_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libxext6.
Unpacking libxext6 (from .../libxext6_2%3a1.1.1-3_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libxrender1.
Unpacking libxrender1 (from .../libxrender1_1%3a0.9.5-2_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libxft2.
Unpacking libxft2 (from .../libxft2_2.1.14-2_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libxss1.
Unpacking libxss1 (from .../libxss1_1%3a1.2.0-2_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package nmh.
Unpacking nmh (from .../archives/nmh_1.3-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package tcl8.5.
Unpacking tcl8.5 (from .../tcl8.5_8.5.8-2_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package tk8.5.
Unpacking tk8.5 (from .../tk8.5_8.5.8-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package astk.
Unpacking astk (from .../archives/astk_1.8.0-1_all.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/astk_1.8.0-1_all.deb (--unpack):
 trying to overwrite '/usr/share/man/man1/show.1.gz', which is also in package nmh 0:1.3-1
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/astk_1.8.0-1_all.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)


This is a serious bug as it makes installation fail, and violates
sections 7.6.1 and 10.1 of the policy. An optimal solution would
consist in only one of the packages installing that file, and renaming
or removing the file in the other package. Depending on the
circumstances you might also consider Replace relations or file
diversions. If the conflicting situation cannot be resolved then, as a
last resort, the two packages have to declare a mutual
Conflict. Please take into account that Replaces, Conflicts and
diversions should only be used when packages provide different
implementations for the same functionality.

Here is a list of files that are known to be shared by both packages
(according to the Contents file for sid/amd64, which may be
slightly out of sync):

  /usr/share/man/man1/show.1.gz

This bug is assigned to both packages. If you, the maintainers of
the two packages in question, have agreed on which of the packages will
resolve the problem please reassign the bug to that package.

-Ralf.

PS: for more information about the detection of file overwrite errors
of this kind see http://edos.debian.net/file-overwrites/.