Comment 0 for bug 850264

Today I added i386 as a foreign architecture and then tried to install something with apt, but was presented with a very bad plan:

$ sudo apt-get install skype:i386
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  gcc-4.6-base:i386 libasound2:i386 libaudio2:i386 libavahi-client3:i386 libavahi-common-data:i386
  libavahi-common3:i386 libc-bin:i386 libc-dev-bin libc6 libc6:i386 libc6-dbg libc6-dev libc6-i386 libcomerr2:i386
  libcups2:i386 libdbus-1-3:i386 libexpat1:i386 libffi6:i386 libfontconfig1:i386 libfreetype6:i386 libgcc1:i386
  libgcrypt11:i386 libglib2.0-0:i386 libgnutls26:i386 libgpg-error0:i386 libgssapi-krb5-2:i386 libice6:i386
  libjpeg62:i386 libk5crypto3:i386 libkeyutils1:i386 libkrb5-3:i386 libkrb5support0:i386 liblcms1:i386 libmng1:i386
  libpcre3:i386 libpng12-0:i386 libqt4-dbus libqt4-dbus:i386 libqt4-declarative libqt4-declarative:i386
  libqt4-network libqt4-network:i386 libqt4-opengl libqt4-script libqt4-script:i386 libqt4-sql libqt4-sql:i386
  libqt4-sql-mysql libqt4-sql-sqlite libqt4-svg libqt4-xml libqt4-xml:i386 libqt4-xmlpatterns
  libqt4-xmlpatterns:i386 libqtcore4 libqtcore4:i386 libqtgui4 libqtgui4:i386 libselinux1:i386 libsm6:i386
  libstdc++6:i386 libtasn1-3:i386 libtiff4:i386 libuuid1:i386 libx11-6:i386 libxau6:i386 libxcb1:i386 libxdmcp6:i386
  libxext6:i386 libxi6:i386 libxrender1:i386 libxss1:i386 libxt6:i386 libxv1:i386 qdbus zlib1g:i386
Suggested packages:
  libasound2-plugins:i386 libasound2-python:i386 nas:i386 glibc-doc glibc-doc:i386 locales:i386 cups-common:i386
  rng-tools:i386 gnutls-bin:i386 krb5-doc:i386 krb5-user:i386 liblcms-utils:i386 libqt4-declarative-folderlistmodel
  libqt4-declarative-gestures libqt4-declarative-particles libqt4-declarative-shaders qt4-qmlviewer
  libqt4-declarative-folderlistmodel:i386 libqt4-declarative-gestures:i386 libqt4-declarative-particles:i386
  libqt4-declarative-shaders:i386 qt4-qmlviewer:i386 libqt4-dev libqt4-dev:i386 qt4-qtconfig qt4-qtconfig:i386
Recommended packages:
  libqt4-sql-mysql:i386 libqt4-sql-odbc:i386 libqt4-sql-psql:i386 libqt4-sql-sqlite:i386
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  libc-bin
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  gcc-4.6-base:i386 libasound2:i386 libaudio2:i386 libavahi-client3:i386 libavahi-common-data:i386
  libavahi-common3:i386 libc-bin:i386 libc6:i386 libcomerr2:i386 libcups2:i386 libdbus-1-3:i386 libexpat1:i386
  libffi6:i386 libfontconfig1:i386 libfreetype6:i386 libgcc1:i386 libgcrypt11:i386 libglib2.0-0:i386
  libgnutls26:i386 libgpg-error0:i386 libgssapi-krb5-2:i386 libice6:i386 libjpeg62:i386 libk5crypto3:i386
  libkeyutils1:i386 libkrb5-3:i386 libkrb5support0:i386 liblcms1:i386 libmng1:i386 libpcre3:i386 libpng12-0:i386
  libqt4-dbus:i386 libqt4-declarative:i386 libqt4-network:i386 libqt4-script:i386 libqt4-sql:i386 libqt4-xml:i386
  libqt4-xmlpatterns:i386 libqtcore4:i386 libqtgui4:i386 libselinux1:i386 libsm6:i386 libstdc++6:i386
  libtasn1-3:i386 libtiff4:i386 libuuid1:i386 libx11-6:i386 libxau6:i386 libxcb1:i386 libxdmcp6:i386 libxext6:i386
  libxi6:i386 libxrender1:i386 libxss1:i386 libxt6:i386 libxv1:i386 skype:i386 zlib1g:i386
The following packages will be upgraded:
  libc-dev-bin libc6 libc6-dbg libc6-dev libc6-i386 libqt4-dbus libqt4-declarative libqt4-network libqt4-opengl
  libqt4-script libqt4-sql libqt4-sql-mysql libqt4-sql-sqlite libqt4-svg libqt4-xml libqt4-xmlpatterns libqtcore4
  libqtgui4 qdbus
WARNING: The following essential packages will be removed.
This should NOT be done unless you know exactly what you are doing!
  libc-bin
19 upgraded, 58 newly installed, 1 to remove and 274 not upgraded.
Need to get 71.5 MB of archives.
After this operation, 96.3 MB of additional disk space will be used.
You are about to do something potentially harmful.
To continue type in the phrase 'Yes, do as I say!'
 ?] ^C

To fix this, on slangasek's advice, I did

$ sudo apt-get install skype:i386 libc-bin

This upgraded libc-bin instead of removing it.

$ sudo apt-get install skype:i386 libc-bin
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  gcc-4.6-base:i386 libasound2:i386 libaudio2:i386 libavahi-client3:i386 libavahi-common-data:i386
  libavahi-common3:i386 libc-dev-bin libc6 libc6:i386 libc6-dbg libc6-dev libc6-i386 libcomerr2:i386 libcups2:i386
  libdbus-1-3:i386 libexpat1:i386 libffi6:i386 libfontconfig1:i386 libfreetype6:i386 libgcc1:i386 libgcrypt11:i386
  libglib2.0-0:i386 libgnutls26:i386 libgpg-error0:i386 libgssapi-krb5-2:i386 libice6:i386 libjpeg62:i386
  libk5crypto3:i386 libkeyutils1:i386 libkrb5-3:i386 libkrb5support0:i386 liblcms1:i386 libmng1:i386 libpcre3:i386
  libpng12-0:i386 libqt4-dbus libqt4-dbus:i386 libqt4-declarative libqt4-declarative:i386 libqt4-network
  libqt4-network:i386 libqt4-opengl libqt4-script libqt4-script:i386 libqt4-sql libqt4-sql:i386 libqt4-sql-mysql
  libqt4-sql-sqlite libqt4-svg libqt4-xml libqt4-xml:i386 libqt4-xmlpatterns libqt4-xmlpatterns:i386 libqtcore4
  libqtcore4:i386 libqtgui4 libqtgui4:i386 libselinux1:i386 libsm6:i386 libstdc++6:i386 libtasn1-3:i386
  libtiff4:i386 libuuid1:i386 libx11-6:i386 libxau6:i386 libxcb1:i386 libxdmcp6:i386 libxext6:i386 libxi6:i386
  libxrender1:i386 libxss1:i386 libxt6:i386 libxv1:i386 qdbus zlib1g:i386
Suggested packages:
  libasound2-plugins:i386 libasound2-python:i386 nas:i386 glibc-doc glibc-doc:i386 locales:i386 cups-common:i386
  rng-tools:i386 gnutls-bin:i386 krb5-doc:i386 krb5-user:i386 liblcms-utils:i386 libqt4-declarative-folderlistmodel
  libqt4-declarative-gestures libqt4-declarative-particles libqt4-declarative-shaders qt4-qmlviewer
  libqt4-declarative-folderlistmodel:i386 libqt4-declarative-gestures:i386 libqt4-declarative-particles:i386
  libqt4-declarative-shaders:i386 qt4-qmlviewer:i386 libqt4-dev libqt4-dev:i386 qt4-qtconfig qt4-qtconfig:i386
Recommended packages:
  libqt4-sql-mysql:i386 libqt4-sql-odbc:i386 libqt4-sql-psql:i386 libqt4-sql-sqlite:i386
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  gcc-4.6-base:i386 libasound2:i386 libaudio2:i386 libavahi-client3:i386 libavahi-common-data:i386
  libavahi-common3:i386 libc6:i386 libcomerr2:i386 libcups2:i386 libdbus-1-3:i386 libexpat1:i386 libffi6:i386
  libfontconfig1:i386 libfreetype6:i386 libgcc1:i386 libgcrypt11:i386 libglib2.0-0:i386 libgnutls26:i386
  libgpg-error0:i386 libgssapi-krb5-2:i386 libice6:i386 libjpeg62:i386 libk5crypto3:i386 libkeyutils1:i386
  libkrb5-3:i386 libkrb5support0:i386 liblcms1:i386 libmng1:i386 libpcre3:i386 libpng12-0:i386 libqt4-dbus:i386
  libqt4-declarative:i386 libqt4-network:i386 libqt4-script:i386 libqt4-sql:i386 libqt4-xml:i386
  libqt4-xmlpatterns:i386 libqtcore4:i386 libqtgui4:i386 libselinux1:i386 libsm6:i386 libstdc++6:i386
  libtasn1-3:i386 libtiff4:i386 libuuid1:i386 libx11-6:i386 libxau6:i386 libxcb1:i386 libxdmcp6:i386 libxext6:i386
  libxi6:i386 libxrender1:i386 libxss1:i386 libxt6:i386 libxv1:i386 skype:i386 zlib1g:i386
The following packages will be upgraded:
  libc-bin libc-dev-bin libc6 libc6-dbg libc6-dev libc6-i386 libqt4-dbus libqt4-declarative libqt4-network
  libqt4-opengl libqt4-script libqt4-sql libqt4-sql-mysql libqt4-sql-sqlite libqt4-svg libqt4-xml libqt4-xmlpatterns
  libqtcore4 libqtgui4 qdbus
20 upgraded, 57 newly installed, 0 to remove and 274 not upgraded.
Need to get 43.7 MB/71.6 MB of archives.
After this operation, 96.5 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?

libc-bin was version 2.13-17ubuntu2 at the time, and updated to 2.13-20ubuntu2

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: apt 0.8.16~exp5ubuntu6
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-9.14-generic 3.0.3
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-9-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia wl
ApportVersion: 1.22.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Sep 14 11:43:35 2011
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release amd64 (20101008.1)
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: apt
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-07-14 (61 days ago)