package sysvutils (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: trying to overwrite '/usr/share/man/man1/mesg.1.gz', which is also in package sysvinit-utils 2.88dsf-13.10ubuntu11.1

[Matthew Cornford]

Error during routing software update

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: sysvutils (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-27.43-generic 3.2.21
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-27-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu12
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Aug 13 09:11:04 2012
DpkgTerminalLog:
 Unpacking sysvutils (from .../sysvutils_2.86.ds1-14.1ubuntu45_amd64.deb) ...
 dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/sysvutils_2.86.ds1-14.1ubuntu45_amd64.deb (--unpack):
  trying to overwrite '/usr/share/man/man1/mesg.1.gz', which is also in package sysvinit-utils 2.88dsf-13.10ubuntu11.1
DuplicateSignature:
 Unpacking sysvutils (from .../sysvutils_2.86.ds1-14.1ubuntu45_amd64.deb) ...
 dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/sysvutils_2.86.ds1-14.1ubuntu45_amd64.deb (--unpack):
  trying to overwrite '/usr/share/man/man1/mesg.1.gz', which is also in package sysvinit-utils 2.88dsf-13.10ubuntu11.1
ErrorMessage: trying to overwrite '/usr/share/man/man1/mesg.1.gz', which is also in package sysvinit-utils 2.88dsf-13.10ubuntu11.1
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
SourcePackage: sysvinit
Title: package sysvutils (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: trying to overwrite '/usr/share/man/man1/mesg.1.gz', which is also in package sysvinit-utils 2.88dsf-13.10ubuntu11.1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Jack Rosenthal (yatc18ks0g8zofezrpk3xa7-0f-ngeefk4xayt3t4u9watah40)]

I get this error when trying to run "sudo apt-get upgrade" How do I fix this?

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

This error indicates that you have added an apt source entry for hardy (Ubuntu 8.04) on your system, and as a result apt is trying to install the sysvutils package from hardy which is marked as an Essential package in that release. This is unsupported. You need to remove the 'hardy' lines from your /etc/apt/sources.list.