package libasound2 1.0.25-3ubuntu3 [modified: usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf] failed to install/upgrade: trying to overwrite shared '/usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf', which is different from other instances of package libasound2:i386

[Sumit Bhagwani]

It all happened after I tried to install skype via command line

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: libasound2 1.0.25-3ubuntu3 [modified: usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf]
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-21.32-generic 3.5.7.1
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-21-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu10
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Jan 28 21:33:20 2013
DuplicateSignature:
 Unpacking libasound2:i386 (from .../libasound2_1.0.25-3ubuntu3_i386.deb) ...
 dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libasound2_1.0.25-3ubuntu3_i386.deb (--unpack):
  trying to overwrite shared '/usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf', which is different from other instances of package libasound2:i386
ErrorMessage: trying to overwrite shared '/usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf', which is different from other instances of package libasound2:i386
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-09-21 (130 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120823.1)
MarkForUpload: True
SourcePackage: alsa-lib
Title: package libasound2 1.0.25-3ubuntu3 [modified: usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf] failed to install/upgrade: trying to overwrite shared '/usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf', which is different from other instances of package libasound2:i386
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to quantal on 2012-10-19 (102 days ago)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Nisarg Thakkar (nisargtha)]

I could fix this bug by completely removing /usr/share/alsa/
and then doing a sudo apt-get -f install

[David Henningsson (diwic)]

Should be fixed in 13.10, because with alsa-lib 1.0.27 this file is now in a separate all-architecture package instead (libasound2-data).