package python3-distutils 3.6.5-3 failed to install/upgrade: trying to overwrite '/usr/lib/python3.8/distutils/README', which is also in package python3.8-distutils 3.8.9-1+xenial1

[James]

$ sudo apt dist-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  gir1.2-geocodeglib-1.0 gtk3-nocsd libfwup1 libgtk3-nocsd0 shim ubuntu-web-launchers
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.

Ubuntu comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by
applicable law.

The following packages will be upgraded:
  python3-distutils python3-lib2to3
2 to upgrade, 0 to newly install, 0 to remove and 0 not to upgrade.
385 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/222 kB of archives.
After this operation, 1,025 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Setting up multiarch-support (2.27-3ubuntu1.4) ...
(Reading database ... 482045 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../python3-lib2to3_3.6.9-1~18.04_all.deb ...
Unpacking python3-lib2to3 (3.6.9-1~18.04) over (3.6.5-3) ...
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/python3-lib2to3_3.6.9-1~18.04_all.deb (--unpack):
 trying to overwrite '/usr/lib/python3.8/lib2to3/Grammar.txt', which is also in package python3.8-lib2to3 3.8.9-1+xenial1
Preparing to unpack .../python3-distutils_3.6.9-1~18.04_all.deb ...
Unpacking python3-distutils (3.6.9-1~18.04) over (3.6.5-3) ...
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/python3-distutils_3.6.9-1~18.04_all.deb (--unpack):
 trying to overwrite '/usr/lib/python3.8/distutils/README', which is also in package python3.8-distutils 3.8.9-1+xenial1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/python3-lib2to3_3.6.9-1~18.04_all.deb
 /var/cache/apt/archives/python3-distutils_3.6.9-1~18.04_all.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: python3-distutils 3.6.5-3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-162.170-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-162-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.27
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Nov 22 15:29:41 2021
ErrorMessage: trying to overwrite '/usr/lib/python3.8/distutils/README', which is also in package python3.8-distutils 3.8.9-1+xenial1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-09-06 (1537 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20170215.2)
PackageArchitecture: all
Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.6, Python 3.6.9, python3-minimal, 3.6.7-1~18.04
PythonDetails: /usr/bin/python2.7, Python 2.7.17, python-minimal, 2.7.15~rc1-1
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.19.0.5ubuntu2.3
 apt 1.6.14
SourcePackage: python3-stdlib-extensions
Title: package python3-distutils 3.6.5-3 failed to install/upgrade: trying to overwrite '/usr/lib/python3.8/distutils/README', which is also in package python3.8-distutils 3.8.9-1+xenial1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2021-09-27 (56 days ago)

[James (jpwarlow)]

turns out this is problem between python 3.6 and 3.8 and solved with

  sudo apt purge python3.8-distutils python3.8-lib2to3
  sudo apt install python3.8