+
+ <p>
+ If the configuration file cannot be shared as described above,
+ the packages must be marked as conflicting with each other.
+ Two packages that specify the same file as
+ a <tt>conffile</tt> must conflict. This is an instance of the
+ general rule about not sharing files. Neither alternatives
+ nor diversions are likely to be appropriate in this case; in
+ particular, <prgn>dpkg</prgn> does not handle diverted
+ <tt>conffile</tt>s well.
+ </p>
+
+ <p>
+ When two packages both declare the same <tt>conffile</tt>, they
+ may see left-over configuration files from each other even
+ though they conflict with each other. If a user removes
+ (without purging) one of the packages and installs the other,
+ the new package will take over the <tt>conffile</tt> from the
+ old package. If the file was modified by the user, it will be
+ treated the same as any other locally
+ modified <tt>conffile</tt> during an upgrade.
+ </p>
+
+ <p>
+ The maintainer scripts must not alter a <tt>conffile</tt>
+ of <em>any</em> package, including the one the scripts
+ belong to.
+ </p>