Can't install i386 version of libltdl-dev package, Makefile.in file can't be overwrited

[Julian Alarcon]

Today I tried to install 2 i386 packages on my Ubuntu 14.04 64 bits version.

I got this error:
sudo apt install unixodbc-dev:i386 libmyodbc:i386
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
libmyodbc:i386 is already the newest version.
The following extra packages will be installed:
  libltdl-dev:i386 libodbc1 unixodbc
Suggested packages:
  libtool-doc:i386 libmyodbc odbc-postgresql tdsodbc unixodbc-bin
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libltdl-dev:i386 libodbc1 unixodbc unixodbc-dev:i386
0 upgraded, 4 newly installed, 0 to remove and 10 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/563 kB of archives.
After this operation, 3.071 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Selecting previously unselected package libodbc1:amd64.
(Reading database ... 211935 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libodbc1_2.2.14p2-5ubuntu5_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libodbc1:amd64 (2.2.14p2-5ubuntu5) ...
Preparing to unpack .../libltdl-dev_2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1_i386.deb ...
Unpacking libltdl-dev:i386 (2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1) ...
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/libltdl-dev_2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1_i386.deb (--unpack):
 trying to overwrite shared '/usr/share/libtool/libltdl/Makefile.in', which is different from other instances of package libltdl-dev:i386
Selecting previously unselected package unixodbc.
Preparing to unpack .../unixodbc_2.2.14p2-5ubuntu5_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking unixodbc (2.2.14p2-5ubuntu5) ...
Selecting previously unselected package unixodbc-dev.
Preparing to unpack .../unixodbc-dev_2.2.14p2-5ubuntu5_i386.deb ...
Unpacking unixodbc-dev (2.2.14p2-5ubuntu5) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.6.7.1-1) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/libltdl-dev_2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
darkhole@CO1WDJ39M6V1U:~$

Seems to be a multiarch related problem.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: libltdl-dev 2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-24.46-generic 3.13.9
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Mon Apr 28 17:17:19 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-10-21 (189 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1)
SourcePackage: libtool
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-04-21 (7 days ago)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Michael Schaller (misch-9)]

This also breaks dist-upgrades from Precise to Trusty if libltdl-dev:amd64 and libltdl-dev:i386 are installed.

[Michael Schaller (misch-9)]

Error during dist-upgrade from Precise to Trusty:
Unpacking libltdl-dev:i386 (2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1) over (2.4.2-1ubuntu1) ...
Preparing to unpack .../libltdl-dev_2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libltdl-dev:amd64 (2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1) over (2.4.2-1ubuntu1) ...
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/libltdl-dev_2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 trying to overwrite shared '/usr/share/libtool/libltdl/Makefile.in', which is different from other instances of package libltdl-dev:amd64

dpkg status afterwards: (one of the two package is only in state unpacked)
$ dpkg -l | grep libltdl-dev
ii libltdl-dev:amd64 2.4.2-1ubuntu1 amd64 A system independent dlopen wrapper for GNU libtool
iU libltdl-dev:i386 2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1 i386 A system independent dlopen wrapper for GNU libtool

Trying to unpack the other package fails with the same error:
$ sudo dpkg --unpack /var/cache/apt/archives/libltdl-dev_2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1_amd64.deb
(Reading database ... 198056 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libltdl-dev_2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libltdl-dev:amd64 (2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1) over (2.4.2-1ubuntu1) ...
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/libltdl-dev_2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 trying to overwrite shared '/usr/share/libtool/libltdl/Makefile.in', which is different from other instances of package libltdl-dev:amd64
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/libltdl-dev_2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1_amd64.deb

Difference between the two '/usr/share/libtool/libltdl/Makefile.in' files:
$ dpkg-deb --extract /var/cache/apt/archives/libltdl-dev_2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1_amd64.deb /tmp/libltdl-dev:amd64
$ dpkg-deb --extract /var/cache/apt/archives/libltdl-dev_2.4.2-1.7ubuntu1_i386.deb /tmp/libltdl-dev:i386
$ diff /tmp/libltdl-dev:amd64/usr/share/libtool/libltdl/Makefile.in /tmp/libltdl-dev:i386/usr/share/libtool/libltdl/Makefile.in
90c90
< $(srcdir)/config-h.in lt__dirent.c lt__strl.c argz.c \
---
> $(srcdir)/config-h.in argz.c lt__strl.c lt__dirent.c \

I had a look on the source package of libtool. I ran the bootstrap script in the source twice and was able to reproduce the issue. It appears that there is no stable order in use when the libltdl/Makefile.in will be generated.

[Hans Joachim Desserud (hjd)]

Based on duplicate bug 1471478, this bug is still present in libltdl-dev 2.4.2-1.11 on Ubuntu 15.04.

[felix (f-sperling)]

This broke the upgrade from utopic to vivid for me.
Still no fix? Not even a workaround?

$ sudo apt-get upgrade -f

supported-versions: WARNING: Unknown Ubuntu release: 15:04
(Reading database ... 466018 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to decompress ... / libltdl-dev_2.4.2-1.11_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libltdl-dev: amd64 (2.4.2-1.11) through (2.4.2-1.10ubuntu1) ...
dpkg: error processing the archive /var/cache/apt/archives/libltdl-dev_2.4.2-1.11_amd64.deb (--unpack):
  Attempt Communal »/usr/share/libtool/libltdl/Makefile.in" to override that of other instances of the package libltdl-dev different: is amd64
Errors were encountered while processing:
  /var/cache/apt/archives/libltdl-dev_2.4.2-1.11_amd64.deb
Error: GDBus.Error: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.Spawn.PermissionsInvalid: The permission of the setuid helper is not correct
E: Sub-process / usr / bin / dpkg returned on error code (1)

$ sudo apt-get upgrade
Reading package lists ... Done Building
Dependency tree.
Status information can be read .... Done
Try 'apt-get -f install' to correct this.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 epiphany-browser: Depends on: libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18 but is not installed
                    Depends on: libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37 (> = 2.6.0) but is not installed
 GDM: Depends on: gir1.2-GDM 1.0 (= 3.14.1-0ubuntu3) but 3.10.0.1-0ubuntu7.1 installed
       Depends: gnome-session-bin (> = 3.12.1) but 3.9.90-0ubuntu16.1 installed
       Recommends: but xserver-xephyr is not installed
 gnome-applets: Depends on: but libpanel-applet0 (> = 3.2.1) is not installed
                 Depends: gnome-applets-data (> = 3.14) but 3.8.1-1ubuntu1 is installed
                 Depends on: but gir1.2 Panel Applet 5.0 is not installed
 gnome-control-center: Depends on: libgnome-control center1 (> = 1: 3.14.2-2ubuntu3) but 1: 3.12.1-5ubuntu2 installed
 gnome-panel: Depends: gnome-panel-data (= 1: 3.14.0-2ubuntu1) but 1: 3.8.1-2ubuntu4 is installed
               Depends on: libical1a (> = 1.0) but is not installed
               Depends on: libpanel-applet0 (> = 3.4.1) but is not installed
               Recommends: gnome-session-flashback (> = 1: 3.14.0) but 1: 3.8.1-2ubuntu4 is installed
 gnome-settings-daemon: Depends on: libgeocode-glib0 (> = 0.99.1) but is not installed
 gnome-shell: Depends on: gir1.2 Mothers 3.0 (> = 3.14.4) but 3.12.2-1ubuntu2 installed
               Depends on: libgjs0e (> = 1.42.0) but 1.41.91-1ubuntu2 installed
               Depends on: libical1a (> = 1.0) but is not installed
               Depends on: libmutter0e but is not installed
               Depends on: gir1.2-upowerglib-1.0 (> = 0.99) but 0.9.23-2ubuntu2 installed
               Depends: gnome-backgrounds (> = 3.13.90) but is not installed
               Depends on: mother (> = 3.14.4) but is not installed
 indicator-applet-complete: Depends on: libpanel-applet0 (> = 3.2.1) but is not installed
 libltdl-dev: Depends: libltdl7 (= 2.4.2-1.10ubuntu1) but 2.4.2-1.11 installed
               Damaged: libltdl-dev: i386 but 2.4.2-1.11 is installed (= 2.4.2-1.10ubuntu1!)
 libltdl-dev: i386: Damaged: libltdl-dev but 2.4.2-1.10ubuntu1 is installed (= 2.4.2-1.11!)
...