[DRE-maint] Bug#589516: libcompass-ruby1.8 and libcompass-ruby: error when trying to install together

[Ralf Treinen]

Package: libcompass-ruby,libcompass-ruby1.8
Version: libcompass-ruby/0.10.2debian-1
Version: libcompass-ruby1.8/0.10.2debian-1
Severity: serious
User: treinen at debian.org
Usertags: edos-file-overwrite

Date: 2010-07-18
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!
  libruby1.8 ruby1.8 libhaml-ruby1.8 libffi5 libffi-ruby1.8 libinotify-ruby1.8
  librb-inotify-ruby1.8 libfssm-ruby1.8 libcompass-ruby1.8 libhaml-ruby
  libfssm-ruby libcompass-ruby
Authentication warning overridden.
Can not write log, openpty() failed (/dev/pts not mounted?)
Selecting previously deselected package libruby1.8.
(Reading database ... 12231 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking libruby1.8 (from .../libruby1.8_1.8.7.299-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package ruby1.8.
Unpacking ruby1.8 (from .../ruby1.8_1.8.7.299-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libhaml-ruby1.8.
Unpacking libhaml-ruby1.8 (from .../libhaml-ruby1.8_3.0.9-1_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libffi5.
Unpacking libffi5 (from .../libffi5_3.0.9-2_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libffi-ruby1.8.
Unpacking libffi-ruby1.8 (from .../libffi-ruby1.8_0.6.3debian-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libinotify-ruby1.8.
Unpacking libinotify-ruby1.8 (from .../libinotify-ruby1.8_0.0.2-4_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package librb-inotify-ruby1.8.
Unpacking librb-inotify-ruby1.8 (from .../librb-inotify-ruby1.8_0.7.0-4_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libfssm-ruby1.8.
Unpacking libfssm-ruby1.8 (from .../libfssm-ruby1.8_0.1.4-2_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libcompass-ruby1.8.
Unpacking libcompass-ruby1.8 (from .../libcompass-ruby1.8_0.10.2debian-1_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libhaml-ruby.
Unpacking libhaml-ruby (from .../libhaml-ruby_3.0.9-1_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libfssm-ruby.
Unpacking libfssm-ruby (from .../libfssm-ruby_0.1.4-2_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libcompass-ruby.
Unpacking libcompass-ruby (from .../libcompass-ruby_0.10.2debian-1_all.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libcompass-ruby_0.10.2debian-1_all.deb (--unpack):
 trying to overwrite '/usr/share/man/man1/compass.1.gz', which is also in package libcompass-ruby1.8 0:0.10.2debian-1
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/libcompass-ruby_0.10.2debian-1_all.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
cow-shell unlink .ilist: No such file or directory


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/compass.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/.