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Accepted
Xiè Jìléi
Asked: 2011-05-04 15:00:23 +0800 CST

apt-get: How to overwrite existing files from another package?

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I'm trying to install Gnome3 for Natty, using the source deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/gnome3-team/gnome3/ubuntu natty main, however the following error:

$ sudo apt-get install -f
...
Unpacking replacement gnome-games-common ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/gnome-games-common_1%3a3.0.0-      0ubuntu1~build1_i386.deb (--unpack):
 trying to overwrite '/usr/share/gnome-games-common/cards/bonded.svg', which is also in     package gnome-games-extra-data 2.30.0-1ubuntu1
dpkg-deb: error: subprocess paste was killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/gnome-games-common_1%3a3.0.0-0ubuntu1~build1_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

I can't sudo apt-get remove gnome-games-common, neither gnome-games-extra-data, before fixed the above problem:

$ sudo apt-get remove gnome-games-common
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run 'apt-get -f install' to correct these:
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 aisleriot : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:3.0.0-0ubuntu1~build1) but it is not going to be installed
 glchess : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:3.0.0-0ubuntu1~build1) but it is not going to be installed
 glines : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:3.0.0-0ubuntu1~build1) but it is not going to be installed
 gnect : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:3.0.0-0ubuntu1~build1) but it is not going to be installed
 gnibbles : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:3.0.0-0ubuntu1~build1) but it is not going to be installed
 gnobots2 : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:3.0.0-0ubuntu1~build1) but it is not going to be installed
 gnome-mahjongg : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:3.0.0-0ubuntu1~build1) but it is not going to be installed
 gnome-sudoku : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:2.32.1-0ubuntu5) but it is not going to be installed
 gnomine : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:3.0.0-0ubuntu1~build1) but it is not going to be installed
 gnotravex : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:3.0.0-0ubuntu1~build1) but it is not going to be installed
 gnotski : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:3.0.0-0ubuntu1~build1) but it is not going to be installed
 gtali : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:3.0.0-0ubuntu1~build1) but it is not going to be installed
 iagno : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:3.0.0-0ubuntu1~build1) but it is not going to be installed
 lightsoff : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:2.32.1-0ubuntu5) but it is not going to be installed
 quadrapassel : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:3.0.0-0ubuntu1~build1) but it is not going to be installed
 swell-foop : Depends: gnome-games-common (>= 1:2.32.1-0ubuntu5) but it is not going to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).

E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).

I'd like to just overwrite the existing file /usr/share/gnome-games-common/cards/bonded.svg, can I?

apt

3 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    Try running:

    sudo dpkg --purge gnome-games gnome-games-common gnome-games-extra-data

    to remove the offending packages. If the packages refuse to be removed, you can run:

    sudo dpkg --force-overwrite --purge gnome-games gnome-games-common gnome-games-extra-data

    Then clear the apt cache and reinstall them:

    sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get install gnome-games gnome-games-common gnome-games-extra-data
    • 6

  2. You should try removing gnome-games-extra-data, not gnome-games-common. I tried installing gnome-games-extra-data and then updating Gnome from ppa and had no error. Doing it in reversed order does anger apt.

    • 1

  3. What I did was remove each game by name as suggested above. It gave me more errors, but listed other apps and games that had the dependency problem. I removed those as well, then sudo apt-get update, and it automatically asked me to install the gnome-games-common. From there, everything seems to be working fine.

    • 1