Update of java-11-openjdk-headless or java-17-openjdk-headless fails with unpacking error: cpio: File from package already exists as a directory

Issue

• Attempting to update or reinstall the java-11-openjdk-headless or java-17-openjdk-headless package on RHEL fails with unpacking errors.:

  # yum update java-11-openjdk-headless
  . . .
  Error unpacking rpm package java-11-openjdk-headless-1:11.0.25.0.9-7.el9.x86_64
  error: unpacking of archive failed on file /usr/lib/jvm/java-11-openjdk-11.0.25.0.9-7.el9.x86_64/conf;...: 
  cpio: File from package already exists as a directory in system
  

• A similar error may occur for Java 17:

  error: unpacking of archive failed on file /usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk-17.0.16.0.8-2.el8.x86_64/conf;
  cpio: File from package already exists as a directory in system