Re: Broken Database

[Stuart <stuart coscom net>]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the help so far.

> > Redhat Linux 6.2 i386
> > Nearly all Errata is Installed including rpm-4.0.2-6x. I had been 
> > putting the kernel upgrade off untill about a week ago.
> > Kernel 2.2.19-6.2.7
> >
> > Since the update of rpm itself, everything was fine. The first rpm that 
> > we attempted to install since the kernel upgrade failed with the 
> > following message:
> >
> > [root@octo <mailto:root@octo> updates]# rpm -i fetchmail-5.5.0-2.6.i386.rpm
> > error: cannot open Depends index using db1 - Invalid argument (22)
> > Segmentation fault
>
> The Depends.idx is not directly the problem, as that's a temporaray database
> index used to speed up dependency checking. Nuke the file left over from
> the segfaulting install.
I'm not sure what file you were refering too ?

> > I first tried to reboot the machine with the original kernel but that 
> > didnt help. After searching around a bit for a solution to this, I found 
> > that the rpm update to version 4 used a new database format and all 
> > advice pointed to a "rpm --rebuilddb". I did this and there was another 
> > segmentation fault. I had a look at /var/lib/rpm and the Depends.idx 
> > file had a 0 file size. I presume this is the problem.
> >
> > rpm often segfaults when bad data is found in a header for any reason. Try
> > rpm-4.0.3-0.57 or later from Raw hide or
> > 	ftp://ftp.rpm.org
> > Most (all I've personally seen) of the segfaults with bad data are
> > fixed there.
I couldnt find the source for rpm 4.0.3-0.57 on the ftp.rpm.org server 
in tar.gz. Only rpms :) . I downloaded the source to rpm 4.0.2 and it 
compiled cleanly. I then replaced /var/lib/rpm with the backed up rpm 
database directory and tried again. It still gives me the dependency 
issues. It's as if it wants to use the rpm database created with --initdb. 

I also tried installing rpm-4.0.3-0.57.i386.rpm with the --nodeps 
option. Even with the old rpm database in place (no db3 files in 
/var/lib/rpm) it creates them and spits the following error at me.

[root@octo lib]# rpm --nodeps -Uvh rpm-4.0.3-0.57.i386.rpm
Preparing...                ########################################### 
[100%]

You have both
      /var/lib/rpm/packages.rpm       db1 format installed package headers
      /var/lib/rpm/Packages           db3 format installed package headers
Please remove (or at least rename) one of those files, and re-install.

error: execution of %pre scriptlet from rpm-4.0.3-0.57 failed, exit status 1
error: skipping rpm-4.0.3-0.57 install, %pre scriptlet failed rc 2

I have removed the db3 file countless times and tried again, but it 
keeps recreating them. Do you know where I could go from here ? I've got 
a bad feeling that everything I do is just making it worse.. :)  

> > I then looked for any reference to the database in the rpm man page and 
> > came across "rpm --initdb". I first backed up my old database in 
> > /var/lib/rpm and ran this (probably a stupid move). I presumed it would 
> > allow me to start from scratch. Now whenever I try and install an rpm, I 
> > get a list of dependencies as long as your arm.
> >
> > What I am basically asking is if there is a way to rebuild the database 
> > with my old dependencies? Or if I can still do anything with the old 
> > backed up rpmdb ?  Any surgery that I can perform on it ? I hope there 
> > is enough info in this for someone to help steer me in the right direction.
>
> The --initdb command created an empty database. Use your original database,
> and do a rpm --rebuilddb with rpm-4.0.3-0.57 or later.
>
> 73 de Jeff