[Bug 2152495] [NEW] "install -D" race condition

[Daniel J Blueman]

Public bug reported:

When "install -D dir" is invoked from a parallel make session, there is
a race condition where one thread successfully creates "dir"; when the
remaining threads get mkdir("dir")=EEXIST, the command exits with an
error, aborting the parallel make job.

This race does not exist in GNU coreutils, where EEXIST does not trigger
an error.

One example where this is a problem is during kernel builds:

$ make -j12 bindeb-pkg
...
install: cannot create directory 'debian/linux-image-7.1.0-rc3+/usr/lib/linux-image-7.1.0-rc3+/qcom'
make[6]: *** [scripts/Makefile.dtbinst:23: debian/linux-image-7.1.0-rc3+/usr/lib/linux-image-7.1.0-rc3+/qcom/sar2130p-qar2130p.dtb] Error 1
make[6]: *** Waiting for unfinished jobs....
make[5]: *** [Makefile:1617: dtbs_install] Error 2
make[4]: *** [Makefile:2272: run-command] Error 2
make[3]: *** [debian/rules:67: binary-image] Error 2

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 26.04
Package: coreutils-from-uutils 0.0.0~ubuntu25
Uname: Linux 7.1.0-rc3+ aarch64
ApportVersion: 2.34.0-0ubuntu2
Architecture: arm64
CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Wed May 13 18:15:07 2026
InstallationDate: Installed on 2026-04-24 (19 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 26.04 "Resolute Raccoon" - Release arm64 (20260423.1)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 SHELL=/usr/bin/fish
 TERM=xterm-ghostty
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
SourcePackage: coreutils-from
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

** Affects: coreutils-from (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: apport-bug arm64 resolute wayland-session

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2152495

Title:
  "install -D" race condition

Status in coreutils-from package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  When "install -D dir" is invoked from a parallel make session, there
  is a race condition where one thread successfully creates "dir"; when
  the remaining threads get mkdir("dir")=EEXIST, the command exits with
  an error, aborting the parallel make job.

  This race does not exist in GNU coreutils, where EEXIST does not
  trigger an error.

  One example where this is a problem is during kernel builds:

  $ make -j12 bindeb-pkg
  ...
  install: cannot create directory 'debian/linux-image-7.1.0-rc3+/usr/lib/linux-image-7.1.0-rc3+/qcom'
  make[6]: *** [scripts/Makefile.dtbinst:23: debian/linux-image-7.1.0-rc3+/usr/lib/linux-image-7.1.0-rc3+/qcom/sar2130p-qar2130p.dtb] Error 1
  make[6]: *** Waiting for unfinished jobs....
  make[5]: *** [Makefile:1617: dtbs_install] Error 2
  make[4]: *** [Makefile:2272: run-command] Error 2
  make[3]: *** [debian/rules:67: binary-image] Error 2

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 26.04
  Package: coreutils-from-uutils 0.0.0~ubuntu25
  Uname: Linux 7.1.0-rc3+ aarch64
  ApportVersion: 2.34.0-0ubuntu2
  Architecture: arm64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
  CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
  Date: Wed May 13 18:15:07 2026
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2026-04-24 (19 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 26.04 "Resolute Raccoon" - Release arm64 (20260423.1)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  ProcEnviron:
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   SHELL=/usr/bin/fish
   TERM=xterm-ghostty
   XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
  SourcePackage: coreutils-from
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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