package libnih1 1.0.3-6ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: package libnih1:amd64 (1.0.3-12) with field 'Multi-Arch: no' is not co-installable with libnih1 which has multiple installed instances

[Jay R. Wren]

Errors were encountered while processing:
 /tmp/apt-dpkg-install-S93V5u/404-libnih-dbus1_1.0.3-12_amd64.deb
 /tmp/apt-dpkg-install-S93V5u/405-libnih1_1.0.3-12_amd64.deb
Exception during pm.DoInstall(): E:Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 21.10
Package: libnih1 1.0.3-6ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.11.0-37.41-generic 5.11.22
Uname: Linux 5.11.0-37-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu70
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
Date: Thu Oct 21 18:10:42 2021
DuplicateSignature:
 package:libnih1:1.0.3-6ubuntu2
 Unpacking libnetaddr-ip-perl (4.079+dfsg-1build6) over (4.079+dfsg-1build5) ...
 dpkg: error processing archive /tmp/apt-dpkg-install-S93V5u/404-libnih-dbus1_1.0.3-12_amd64.deb (--unpack):
  package libnih-dbus1:amd64 (1.0.3-12) with field 'Multi-Arch: no' is not co-installable with libnih-dbus1 which has multiple installed instances
ErrorMessage: package libnih1:amd64 (1.0.3-12) with field 'Multi-Arch: no' is not co-installable with libnih1 which has multiple installed instances
Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.9, Python 3.9.7, python3-minimal, 3.9.4-1build1
PythonDetails: /usr/bin/python3.9, Python 3.9.7, python-is-python3, 3.9.2-1
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.20.9ubuntu2
 apt 2.3.9
SourcePackage: libnih
Title: package libnih1 1.0.3-6ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: package libnih1:amd64 (1.0.3-12) with field 'Multi-Arch: no' is not co-installable with libnih1 which has multiple installed instances
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to impish on 2021-10-21 (0 days ago)

[Jay R. Wren (evarlast)]

Easy to fix:

sudo apt purge libnih1:i386 libnih-dbus1:i386 && sudo apt upgrade -y

[Espen (2ontact)]

Same error, upgrading from updated 20.04.
Jay's easy fix solved it good.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Klaus Rombach (krombach)]

The same error. The system was previously upgraded from 21.04 to 21.10.

sudo apt purge libnih1:i386 libnih-dbus1:i386 && sudo apt upgrade -y

solved the problem. No problems since then. I hope I don't get any dependency problems later.

[stevenhbooth (stevenhbooth)]

I've been trying to resolve this for a while now. Everything I have tried so far has not worked, including this. I keep getting the same messages:

Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/libnih-dbus1_1.0.3-12_amd
64.deb (--unpack):
 package libnih-dbus1:amd64 (1.0.3-12) with field 'Multi-Arch: no' is not co-ins
tallable with libnih-dbus1 which has multiple installed instances
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/libnih1_1.0.3-12_amd64.de
b (--unpack):
 package libnih1:amd64 (1.0.3-12) with field 'Multi-Arch: no' is not co-installable with libnih1 which has multiple installed instances
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/libnih-dbus1_1.0.3-12_amd64.deb
 /var/cache/apt/archives/libnih1_1.0.3-12_amd64.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run 'apt --fix-broken install' to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies.
 libnih-dbus-dev : Depends: libnih-dbus1 (= 1.0.3-12) but 1.0.3-6ubuntu2 is to be installed
 libnih-dev : Depends: libnih1 (= 1.0.3-12) but 1.0.3-6ubuntu2 is to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt --fix-broken install' with no packages (or specify a solution).

Any more ideas?