E: dkpg processing - apt install

ERROR: dpkg processing archive during apt install

Last updated January 31, 2025

Conflicts in files as packaged by Proxmox and what finds its way into underlying Debian install do arise. Pass proper options to the apt command for remedy.

Install on Debian woes

If you are following the current official guide on Proxmox VE deployment on top of Debian and then, right at the start, during kernel package install, encounter the following (or similar):

dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/pve-firmware_3.14-3_all.deb (--unpack):
 trying to overwrite '/lib/firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8723cs_xx_config.bin', which is also in package firmware-realtek-rtl8723cs-bt 20181104-2

Failing with disappointing:

Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/pve-firmware_3.14-3_all.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

You are not on your own - Proxmox has been riddled with these unresolved conflict scenarios for a while - they come and go as catching up takes a while - and has low priority - typically, only after having been user reported.

Remedy

You really would have wanted to use dpkg with --force-overwrite as passed over through that apt invocation in this scenario. Since you are already in the mess, you have to:

apt install -fo Dpkg::Options::="--force-overwrite"

This will let it decide on the conflict, explicitly:

Unpacking pve-firmware (3.14-3) ...
dpkg: warning: overriding problem because --force enabled:
dpkg: warning: trying to overwrite '/lib/firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8723cs_xx_config.bin', which is also in package firmware-realtek-rtl8723cs-bt 20181104-2
dpkg: warning: overriding problem because --force enabled:
dpkg: warning: trying to overwrite '/lib/firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8723cs_xx_fw.bin', which is also in package firmware-realtek-rtl8723cs-bt 20181104-2

And you can then proceed back where you left off.

Culprit

As Proxmox ship their own select firmware, they need to be mindful of what might conflict with those of Debian - in this particular case - firmware-realtek-rtl8723cs-bt package.

This will happen if you had gone with non-free-firmware option during the Debian install, but is clearly something Proxmox could be aware of and automatically track as they base their product on Debian and have full control over their own packaging of pve-firmware which installation of their kernel pulls in through a dependency.

Note

It is not quite clear what - possibly historical - reasons led Proxmox to set the original pve-kernel-* packages to merely “suggest” pve-firmware package, but then as they got replaced by proxmox-kernel a hard dependency on pve-firmware was introduced.