yum/dnf/rpm update fails with error: unpacking of archive failed on file /abc/xyz: cpio: rename

Issue

• Attempting to update glibc package in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 fails with cpio: rename errors, e.g.:

  [root ~]# yum update glibc
  ...
  Running rpm_check_debug
  Running Transaction Test
  Transaction Test Succeeded
  Running Transaction
    Updating   : glibc-2.12-1.149.el6_6.5.x86_64                                  1/8
  Error unpacking rpm package glibc-2.12-1.149.el6_6.5.x86_64
  error: unpacking of archive failed on file /lib64/ld-2.12.so: cpio: rename
    Updating   : glibc-common-2.12-1.149.el6_6.5.x86_64                           2/8
  Error unpacking rpm package glibc-common-2.12-1.149.el6_6.5.x86_64
  error: unpacking of archive failed on file /usr/bin/catchsegv: cpio: rename
    Updating   : glibc-devel-2.12-1.149.el6_6.5.x86_64                            3/8
  Error unpacking rpm package glibc-devel-2.12-1.149.el6_6.5.x86_64
  error: unpacking of archive failed on file /usr/lib64/Mcrt1.o: cpio: rename
    Updating   : glibc-2.12-1.149.el6_6.5.i686                                    4/8
  Error unpacking rpm package glibc-2.12-1.149.el6_6.5.i686
  error: unpacking of archive failed on file /lib/i686/nosegneg/libc-2.12.so: cpio: rename
  glibc-2.12-1.132.el6.x86_64 was supposed to be removed but is not!
  
    Verifying  : glibc-2.12-1.132.el6.x86_64                                      1/8
  glibc-devel-2.12-1.132.el6.x86_64 was supposed to be removed but is not!
    Verifying  : glibc-devel-2.12-1.132.el6.x86_64                                2/8
  glibc-common-2.12-1.132.el6.x86_64 was supposed to be removed but is not!
    Verifying  : glibc-common-2.12-1.132.el6.x86_64                               3/8
  glibc-2.12-1.132.el6.i686 was supposed to be removed but is not!
    Verifying  : glibc-2.12-1.132.el6.i686                                        4/8
    Verifying  : glibc-devel-2.12-1.149.el6_6.5.x86_64                            5/8
    Verifying  : glibc-common-2.12-1.149.el6_6.5.x86_64                           6/8
    Verifying  : glibc-2.12-1.149.el6_6.5.i686                                    7/8
    Verifying  : glibc-2.12-1.149.el6_6.5.x86_64                                  8/8
  
  Failed:
    glibc.i686 0:2.12-1.132.el6           glibc.x86_64 0:2.12-1.132.el6
    glibc.i686 0:2.12-1.149.el6_6.5       glibc.x86_64 0:2.12-1.149.el6_6.5
    glibc-common.x86_64 0:2.12-1.132.el6  glibc-common.x86_64 0:2.12-1.149.el6_6.5
    glibc-devel.x86_64 0:2.12-1.132.el6   glibc-devel.x86_64 0:2.12-1.149.el6_6.5
  

• Attempting to update the setup package in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 fails with cpio: rename failed e.g.:

  [root ~]# dnf update setup
  ... output omitted ...
  Error unpacking rpm package setup-2.12.2-7.el8.noarch
    Upgrading        : dnf-data-4.7.0-11.el8.noarch
  error: unpacking of archive failed on file /etc/shadow.rpmnew: cpio: rename failed - Permission denied
  error: setup-2.12.2-7.el8.noarch: install failed
  ... output omitted ...
  Failed:
    setup-2.12.2-6.el8.noarch              setup-2.12.2-7.el8.noarch             Error: Transaction failed
  [root ~]#