I'm running Kubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04. I found an error in the file /etc/dbus-1/system.d/hal.conf, which I (successfully) fixed. However, I don't have the unfixed version any more. I want to report the error at launchpad. After saving the fixed version, I tried reinstalling the hal package, which supposedly includes the file in question. However, the old version didn't come back, so I can't fully describe the error. (My plan was to reinstall the erroneous version, report the error, and then install the correct version.)

How can I get to see the erroneous version of that file, which is in the latest distribution?

look for the package called hal.

it should be on your install media?