package libpulse0 1:10.0-2ubuntu3.1 failed to install/upgrade: trying to overwrite shared '/etc/pulse/client.conf', which is different from other instances of package libpulse0:i386

[Steve Langasek]

SRU fails to unpack due to reported changes to a conffile of a library installed in a multiarch configuration.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 17.10
Package: libpulse0 1:10.0-2ubuntu3.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.13.0-32.35-generic 4.13.13
Uname: Linux 4.13.0-32-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl zcommon znvpair
ApportVersion: 2.20.7-0ubuntu3.7
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: vorlon 6459 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: vorlon 6459 F...m pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: gdm 5976 F.... pulseaudio
                      vorlon 6459 F.... pulseaudio
Date: Fri Feb 23 13:03:48 2018
DuplicateSignature:
 package:libpulse0:1:10.0-2ubuntu3.1
 Unpacking libpulse0:i386 (1:10.0-2ubuntu3.1) over (1:10.0-2ubuntu3) ...
 dpkg: error processing archive /tmp/apt-dpkg-install-dJjkB5/058-libpulse0_1%3a10.0-2ubuntu3.1_i386.deb (--unpack):
  trying to overwrite shared '/etc/pulse/client.conf', which is different from other instances of package libpulse0:i386
ErrorMessage: trying to overwrite shared '/etc/pulse/client.conf', which is different from other instances of package libpulse0:i386
InstallationDate: Installed on 2010-09-24 (2709 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release amd64 (20100816.1)
PulseList: Error: command ['pacmd', 'list'] failed with exit code 1: No PulseAudio daemon running, or not running as session daemon.
Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.6, Python 3.6.3, python3-minimal, 3.6.3-0ubuntu2
PythonDetails: /usr/bin/python2.7, Python 2.7.14, python-minimal, 2.7.14-2ubuntu1
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.24ubuntu1
 apt 1.5.1
SourcePackage: pulseaudio
Title: package libpulse0 1:10.0-2ubuntu3.1 failed to install/upgrade: trying to overwrite shared '/etc/pulse/client.conf', which is different from other instances of package libpulse0:i386
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to artful on 2017-10-19 (127 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 10/25/2013
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: G2ET97WW (2.57 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 2306CTO
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Not Defined
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrG2ET97WW(2.57):bd10/25/2013:svnLENOVO:pn2306CTO:pvrThinkPadX230:rvnLENOVO:rn2306CTO:rvrNotDefined:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.family: ThinkPad X230
dmi.product.name: 2306CTO
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad X230
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

$ dpkg-deb -R /var/cache/apt/archives/libpulse0_*amd64.deb libpulse0
$ diff -u /etc/pulse/client.conf libpulse0/etc/pulse/client.conf
$ echo $?
0
$ dpkg-deb -R /var/cache/apt/archives/libpulse0_*amd64.deb libpulse0
$ diff -u /etc/pulse/client.conf libpulse0/etc/pulse/client.conf
$ echo $?
0

The checksum listed in /var/lib/dpkg/status for this conffile matches. I'm unclear what is happening here.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

Forcibly purging libpulse0 (and its reverse-dependencies) and then reinstalling libpulse0 allows the upgrade to complete, but this should not be necessary, particularly when the conffile on disk and the one in the to-be-unpacked package are identical.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

That is odd. And I can see no recent reason for it in the latest diff:

https://launchpadlibrarian.net/356975252/pulseaudio_1%3A10.0-2ubuntu3_1%3A10.0-2ubuntu3.1.diff.gz

So the most likely explanation is that it's a pre-existing bug. A theory seemingly confirmed by bug 1640139.