Bug#722667: mpich-bin and mpich: error when trying to install together

[Ralf Treinen]

Package: mpich,mpich-bin
Version: mpich/3.0.4-2
Version: mpich-bin/1.2.7-10
Severity: serious
User: treinen at debian.org
Usertags: edos-file-overwrite

Date: 2013-09-13
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!
  libquadmath0 libgfortran3 libltdl7 libxau6 libxdmcp6 libxcb1 libx11-data
  libx11-6 libnuma1 libhwloc5 libcr0 libmpich10 hwloc-nox libmpich1.0gf mpich
  rsh-client mpich-bin
Authentication warning overridden.
Selecting previously unselected package libquadmath0:amd64.
(Reading database ... 10882 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking libquadmath0:amd64 (from .../libquadmath0_4.8.1-10_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libgfortran3:amd64.
Unpacking libgfortran3:amd64 (from .../libgfortran3_4.8.1-10_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libltdl7:amd64.
Unpacking libltdl7:amd64 (from .../libltdl7_2.4.2-1.3_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libxau6:amd64.
Unpacking libxau6:amd64 (from .../libxau6_1%3a1.0.8-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libxdmcp6:amd64.
Unpacking libxdmcp6:amd64 (from .../libxdmcp6_1%3a1.1.1-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libxcb1:amd64.
Unpacking libxcb1:amd64 (from .../libxcb1_1.9.1-3_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libx11-data.
Unpacking libx11-data (from .../libx11-data_2%3a1.6.1-1_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libx11-6:amd64.
Unpacking libx11-6:amd64 (from .../libx11-6_2%3a1.6.1-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libnuma1.
Unpacking libnuma1 (from .../libnuma1_2.0.8-3_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libhwloc5:amd64.
Unpacking libhwloc5:amd64 (from .../libhwloc5_1.7.2-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libcr0.
Unpacking libcr0 (from .../libcr0_0.8.5-2_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libmpich10:amd64.
Unpacking libmpich10:amd64 (from .../libmpich10_3.0.4-2_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package hwloc-nox.
Unpacking hwloc-nox (from .../hwloc-nox_1.7.2-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libmpich1.0gf.
Unpacking libmpich1.0gf (from .../libmpich1.0gf_1.2.7-10_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package mpich.
Unpacking mpich (from .../mpich_3.0.4-2_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package rsh-client.
Unpacking rsh-client (from .../rsh-client_0.17-15_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package mpich-bin.
Unpacking mpich-bin (from .../mpich-bin_1.2.7-10_amd64.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/mpich-bin_1.2.7-10_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 trying to overwrite '/usr/share/man/man1/mpirun.mpich.1.gz', which is also in package mpich 3.0.4-2
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/mpich-bin_1.2.7-10_amd64.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/bin/mpirun.mpich
  /usr/share/man/man1/mpirun.mpich.1.gz

This bug has been filed against 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. You may then
also register in the BTS that the other package is affected by the bug.

-Ralf.

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