launchpad recipe fails to nest-part a already existing directory created by merge of another branch (even if the files inside are different)

[i30817]

This recipe:
# bzr-builder format 0.3 deb-version {debupstream}+{date}
lp:dosbox
merge packaging lp:~i30817/dosbox/packaging
nest-part patch lp:munt DOSBox-mt32-patch debian/patches

which is trying to merge a debian dir from the packaging branch (lp:dosbox has no debian dir) and then import some files from another branch directory into the subdir debian/patch

Is failing with this buildlog
https://launchpadlibrarian.net/212606413/buildlog.txt.gz

Conflict adding file debian/patches. Moved existing file to debian/patches.moved.
1 conflicts encountered.
bzr: ERROR: bzrlib.errors.BzrCommandError: Conflicts from merge

Is there even a functionality to copy (or 'merge') files into already existing directories? There is no way to copy single files and there is no way to copy dirs that already exist! (even if i only really want the file inside, which doesn't exist yet).

[i30817 (i30817)]

BTW, in this specific case (because i control the location where quilt will be looking for patches) i can workaround this by adding a directory prefix to the affected patches in the debian/patches/series file in the packaging dir and importing to that (not existing yet on any branch) dir.
Then nest-part gets unstuck.

[Khurshid Alam (khurshid-alam)]

I am experiencing the same issue. Even merge is failing if file or folder exists in there.

@i30817 Does adding a space-tab (4 spaces) solve the issue ? It is described here: https://help.launchpad.net/Packaging/SourceBuilds/Recipes