RPM 4.0.3 and 4.0.4 segfaulting at a probably corrupt database

[Roberto Bagnara <roberto cs unipr it>]

Dear all,

after doing `rpm -Fvh some-packages' I got a message saying something
about the database being not in good shape.  Then I tried to rebuild
the database, but I get

# rpm --rebuilddb
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #266 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #278 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #312 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #794 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #834 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #878 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #886 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #954 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #980 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #1043 retrieved, skipping.
Segmentation fault
# rpm -q rpm
rpm-4.0.3-1.03

I have also tried with version 4.0.4 which gives me a slightly
more informative message

# ./rpm --rebuilddb
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #266 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #278 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #312 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #794 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #834 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #878 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #886 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #954 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #980 retrieved, skipping.
error: rpmdb: damaged header instance #1043 retrieved, skipping.
*** dbiUpdateRecord: uh is NULL
Segmentation fault

What can I do to escape from this nightmare?
Thanks a lot

       Roberto

-- 
Prof. Roberto Bagnara
Computer Science Group
Department of Mathematics, University of Parma, Italy
http://www.cs.unipr.it/~bagnara/
mailto:bagnara@cs.unipr.it