[SOLVED] Update "Fatal Error"

[andrew-lohmann]

This is probably a system error;
I accepted update notification but during the update process the computer appeared to freeze. Eventually I turned the computer off and on. When I accepted the update from the notification that re-appeared I got the message;
"Fatal Error could not open RPM DB () at /usr/perl5/vendoe_perl/5.16.3/rmpdrake/open_db.pm line 74"

I am running Mageia 3 LDRE but the problem is the same if I switch to Gnome or KDE. It is installed on a memory stick (which I use as back up and a place to try things).

I have also looked at "urpmi" part of the Wiki but I must say I don't want to tangle with that without someone talking me through and that it is necessary.

[doktor5000]

Check if this helps: viewtopic.php?p=25450#p25450

[andrew-lohmann]

I am sure I mistyped something but I repeated the exercise as below. Unfortuately although the update progressed further (I got a list of software to update) and I accepted the option to update anyway three times but updated failed.

Root terminal
rm -f /var/lib/rpm/__db*
rm -f /var/lib/rpm/.rpm.lock
rpm --rebuilddb

I also repeated the exercise above but restarting the PC after doing the rebuild but before accepting update.

I think there needs to be a feature added to take care of this or to do things another way. Linux needs to be at least as tollerant as Windows NT 4, 2000 and XP.

[doktor5000]

As if Windows OSes before 7 would be anything near tolerant, maybe near the exact opposite of that. Sorry but I've fixed so many of those damn things
with registry or filesystem corruption, that appeared when simply normally shutting down and afterwards wouldn't boot anymore.

Apart from that, the installer has this already integrated. But if you decide to reboot your box during an upgrade, you're just calling for filesystem damage like this.

Unfortuately although the update progressed further (I got a list of software to update) and I accepted the option to update anyway three times but updated failed.

Do you also mind to share some details of that, or the reason why it failed, maybe some error message?
My crystal ball is currently away for maintenance so can't help you much further than that.

[andrew-lohmann]

I am back on my hard disk installation but I will swap back to the other USB version with the Fatal Error and detail the problem.

Sorry to have wound you up Doctor my intention is to grumble at weakness in Linux in order to point out how a windows user considering something other will see it. MS would have sorted things to make windows robust where users would not understand and do the standard thing switch it off and on again and it will be all right again. I should say I did try esc wait a bit longer then ctrl-alt-delete then after another period I finally went for pc power switch. I agree that MS do seem to build in wearout into there software but I never observed that problem before Windows 2000.

[doktor5000]

I should say I did try esc wait a bit longer then ctrl-alt-delete then after another period I finally went for pc power switch.

If the computer is "frozen" none of that will work. Either try Ctrl+Alt+Backspace to try to restart the X server, or Ctrl+Alt+F3 to F7 to switch to a text terminal
or best.

For a safe reboot, to allow your box to sync and unmount the filesystems cleanly, check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_SysRq_key

Uses

A common use of the magic SysRq key is to perform a safe reboot of a Linux computer which has otherwise locked up. This can prevent a fsck being required on reboot and gives some programs a chance to save emergency backups of unsaved work.[4] The QWERTY (or AZERTY) mnemonics: "Raising Elephants Is So Utterly Boring", "Reboot Even If System Utterly Broken" or simply the word "BUSIER" read backwards, are often used to remember the following Sysrq-keys sequence:

[andrew-lohmann]

The problem is usually clearer after it is resolved. I think in this case each time I attempted to update Linux something a bit mangled was straightend out? Restarting the computer a number of times probably released locked in-use modules? You don't need to read any further but below are the steps;

I accept the notification to Update and see the list of items to be updated.
I click Update which proceeds normally and the two progress bars proceed until a point where another dialog box apears "Installation failed"
I select Yes to the question "Try to continue anyway" and the progress bars proceed a little more.
Another dialogue box apears "Problem during installation" and I click OK.
Breifly a dialogue apears "Please wait" I have now got a much shorter list of things to update. I click Update.
I now have another "Installation failed, some files missing" dialogue box with a list of modules with words like "rsync" and the last lines "You may need to update your urpmi database." and "Try to continue anyway?" I press YES.
Now I have a double progess bar followed by another dialog box;
"1 installation transactions failed
There was a problem during the installation:"
There are now four items to update. I go around a few times but there is no more improvement.

NOTE; The first item in the shorter list was a flash update for the browser so I closed the browser, saving the above notes as a draft, then the updated proceed to the point were Linux reported that it is fully up to date.

Thanks for your help.