double package installed?

I've discovered that I have two different version but same package installed. For example the following is the two linux-firmware installed.

Package: linux-firmware
Architecture: all
Version: 1.187.10
Multi-Arch: foreign
Priority: optional
Section: misc
Origin: Ubuntu
Maintainer: Ubuntu Kernel Team <[email protected]>
Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug
Installed-Size: 545755
Provides: atmel-firmware
Conflicts: atmel-firmware
Breaks: linux-firmware-raspi2 (<= 1.20190819-0ubuntu2), linux-firmware-snapdragon (<= 1.2-0ubuntu1)
Replaces: atmel-firmware, linux-firmware-snapdragon (<= 1.2-0ubuntu1), linux-restricted-common
Filename: pool/main/l/linux-firmware/linux-firmware_1.187.10_all.deb
Size: 102768040
MD5sum: 819c7933a41766c75fb90fdf43424660
SHA1: faed33f1f9914d92a35bc15cdad854f10af42639
SHA256: 758bbb4d01c38186f26fd67fb35f624c66d559fab7c0269222efe901ba98dd53
SHA512: d82df37e09acf1e1953d497d0781c336cc476d495509a09dbeade152923af920878589d2960f7e078cc4226563ae3d801147fca32497f59445533db8682a72a4
Description-en: Firmware for Linux kernel drivers
 This package provides firmware used by Linux kernel drivers.
Description-md5: 7a047bff9e44dce458a300976c12f9da
Task: ubuntustudio-desktop-core, ubuntustudio-desktop

Package: linux-firmware
Architecture: all
Version: 1.187
Multi-Arch: foreign
Priority: optional
Section: misc
Origin: Ubuntu
Maintainer: Ubuntu Kernel Team <[email protected]>
Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug
Installed-Size: 522910
Provides: atmel-firmware
Conflicts: atmel-firmware
Breaks: linux-firmware-raspi2 (<= 1.20190819-0ubuntu2), linux-firmware-snapdragon (<= 1.2-0ubuntu1)
Replaces: atmel-firmware, linux-firmware-snapdragon (<= 1.2-0ubuntu1), linux-restricted-common
Filename: pool/main/l/linux-firmware/linux-firmware_1.187_all.deb
Size: 98718284
MD5sum: b9d9ab13f41f316a33f406d5145939ce
SHA1: 875ed1bb7f9738965cc5edcb435237812fb2fa4b
SHA256: cb27d20f8a11ddd89ca4d0de9f6c2b3abf6266a1005f774ec8b11fc1983a7893
Description-en: Firmware for Linux kernel drivers
 This package provides firmware used by Linux kernel drivers.
Description-md5: 7a047bff9e44dce458a300976c12f9da
Task: ubuntustudio-desktop-core, ubuntustudio-desktop

As you can there are two versions:

Version: 1.187.10

Version: 1.187

Can I remove one ? For example 1.187 ?

Solution 1:

You are showing the output of apt-cache show linux-firmware - this command shows available versions.

Only one is really installed.
You can check its version number by:

• apt-cache policy linux-firmware
• dpkg -l linux-firmware

Or use search on packages.ubuntu.com for the same purpose.
For Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) the latest version is 1.187.10 from focal-updates pocket.

There are no additional actions needed. The APT have already done all for you.