Bug#810990: libxmlrpcpp-dev: /usr/include/base64.h already shipped by heimdal-dev

[Andreas Beckmann]

Package: libxmlrpcpp-dev,heimdal-dev
Severity: serious
User: treinen at debian.org
Usertags: edos-file-overwrite
Control: found -1 1.11.16-2
Control: found -1 1.6~rc2+dfsg-10

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:

  Selecting previously unselected package libxmlrpcpp-dev.
  Preparing to unpack .../libxmlrpcpp-dev_1.11.16-2_amd64.deb ...
  Unpacking libxmlrpcpp-dev (1.11.16-2) ...
  dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/libxmlrpcpp-dev_1.11.16-2_amd64.deb (--unpack):
   trying to overwrite '/usr/include/base64.h', which is also in package heimdal-dev 1.6~rc2+dfsg-10
  Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.21-6) ...
  Errors were encountered while processing:
   /var/cache/apt/archives/libxmlrpcpp-dev_1.11.16-2_amd64.deb


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/include/base64.h

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. You may
also register in the BTS that the other package is affected by the bug.

/usr/include/base64.h sounds like a very generic name and I wouldn't
expect to find such a file in either of these two packages.
There are a lot of packages shipping base64.h in their specific include
directories:
https://packages.debian.org/search?searchon=contents&keywords=base64.h&mode=path&suite=unstable&arch=any

Cheers,

Andreas

PS: for more information about the detection of file overwrite errors
of this kind see https://qa.debian.org/dose/file-overwrites.html