TypeError: rpmdb open failed

[Red Knuckles]

In recent install [updated once or twice previously] of FC 6 when I try to run 'yum -y update' I get the following output:

# yum -y update
Loading "installonlyn" plugin
rpmdb: PANIC: fatal region error detected; run recovery
error: db4 error(-30977) from dbenv->open: DB_RUNRECOVERY: Fatal error, run database recovery
error: cannot open Packages index using db3 - (-30977)
error: cannot open Packages database in /var/lib/rpm
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/yum", line 29, in ?
yummain.main(sys.argv[1:])
File "/usr/share/yum-cli/yummain.py", line 85, in main
base.getOptionsConfig(args)
File "/usr/share/yum-cli/cli.py", line 199, in getOptionsConfig
errorlevel=opts.errorlevel)
File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/__init__.py", line 125, in doConfigSetup
self.conf = config.readMainConfig(startupconf)
File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/config.py", line 597, in readMainConfig
vars['releasever'] = _getsysver(startupconf.installroot, startupconf.distroverpkg)
File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/config.py", line 656, in _getsysver
idx = ts.dbMatch('provides', distroverpkg)
TypeError: rpmdb open failed

What's going on and how do I fix??? When I try to edit '/etc/yum.repos.d' as root with kwrite I get:

The file 'file:///etc/yum.repos.d' could not be opened: it is not a normal file, it is a folder.

That seems very wrong to me. How to edit?

When I try '# gedit /etc/yum.repos.d' I get:

Could not open the file /etc/yum.repos.d.

[Red Knuckles]

Ok, I fingered out how to deal with repos in FC 6. Apparently I was used to them all being in one file but now they are in a folder and you have to edit each file seperately. ie. 'kwrite /etc/yum/repos.d/fedora-core.repo' and in my case also '/etc/yum/repos.d/fedora-extras.repo' and '/etc/yum/repos.d/fedora-updates.repo'. For some reason [WHY???] FC 6 comments out all base urls in repos by default [#] so you have to remove the # before the base urls that you wish to have enabled [enabled=1]. In my case so far that is only core, extras and update. I did that but yum still won't run and gives the same error for 'yum clean all'. At least that is what I think I learned from scanning other posts. If I'm wrong someone correct me! I still don't understand why rpmdb open failed??? Is it trying to tell me something when it mentions 'Fatal error, run database recovery' and 'rpmdb: PANIC: fatal region error detected; run recovery'? Aren't I looking for a command to recover the rpmdb? Or am I looking for a rpm command? Will keep looking...

[Red Knuckles]

As of my last post I had not rebooted my computer. What solved the problem was removing the '#' from the base urls in repos AND rebooting computer. Then I ran:

# yum clean all
Loading "installonlyn" plugin
Cleaning up Everything
# yum -y update
Loading "installonlyn" plugin
Setting up Update Process
Setting up repositories
core 100% |=========================| 1.1 kB 00:00
updates 100% |=========================| 1.2 kB 00:00
extras 100% |=========================| 1.1 kB 00:00
Reading repository metadata in from local files
primary.xml.gz 100% |=========================| 824 kB 00:02
################################################## 2242/2242
primary.xml.gz 100% |=========================| 81 kB 00:00
################################################## 249/249
primary.xml.gz 100% |=========================| 1.3 MB 00:28
################################################## 4027/4027
Resolving Dependencies
--> Populating transaction set with selected packages. Please wait.
---> Downloading header for kdeadmin to pack into transaction set.
kdeadmin-3.5.5-0.1.fc6.i3 100% |=========================| 35 kB 00:00

so it appears as if it's going to update. Looks like a long one too. Maybe I never updated my FC 6 install yet afterall...

[Red Knuckles]

As of my last post I had not rebooted my computer. What solved the problem was removing the '#' from the base urls in repos AND rebooting computer. Then I ran:

# yum clean all
Loading "installonlyn" plugin
Cleaning up Everything
# yum -y update
Loading "installonlyn" plugin
Setting up Update Process
Setting up repositories
core 100% |=========================| 1.1 kB 00:00
updates 100% |=========================| 1.2 kB 00:00
extras 100% |=========================| 1.1 kB 00:00
Reading repository metadata in from local files
primary.xml.gz 100% |=========================| 824 kB 00:02
################################################## 2242/2242
primary.xml.gz 100% |=========================| 81 kB 00:00
################################################## 249/249
primary.xml.gz 100% |=========================| 1.3 MB 00:28
################################################## 4027/4027
Resolving Dependencies
--> Populating transaction set with selected packages. Please wait.
---> Downloading header for kdeadmin to pack into transaction set.
kdeadmin-3.5.5-0.1.fc6.i3 100% |=========================| 35 kB 00:00

so it appears as if it's going to update. Looks like a long one too. Maybe I never updated my FC 6 install yet afterall...

I spoke to soon. When I do the above yum updates a few packages and then I get I very long list like this:

rpmdb: PANIC: fatal region error detected; run recovery
error: db4 error(-30977) from db->sync: DB_RUNRECOVERY: Fatal error, run database recovery
rpmdb: PANIC: fatal region error detected; run recovery
error: db4 error(-30977) from db->sync: DB_RUNRECOVERY: Fatal error, run database recovery
rpmdb: PANIC: fatal region error detected; run recovery
error: db4 error(-30977) from db->sync: DB_RUNRECOVERY: Fatal error, run database recovery
rpmdb: PANIC: fatal region error detected; run recovery
error: db4 error(-30977) from db->sync: DB_RUNRECOVERY: Fatal error, run database recovery
rpmdb: PANIC: fatal region error detected; run recovery
error: db4 error(-30977) from db->sync: DB_RUNRECOVERY: Fatal error, run database recovery
rpmdb: PANIC: fatal region error detected; run recovery
error: db4 error(-30977) from db->sync: DB_RUNRECOVERY: Fatal error, run database recovery
rpmdb: PANIC: fatal region error detected; run recovery
error: db4 error(-30977) from db->sync: DB_RUNRECOVERY: Fatal error, run database recovery
rpmdb: PANIC: fatal region error detected; run recovery
error: db4 error(-30977) from db->sync: DB_RUNRECOVERY: Fatal error, run database recovery
rpmdb: PANIC: fatal region error detected; run recovery


and I'm back to 'rpmdb open failed'. Then I reboot and do it again and it updates a few more packages and the same error again. How to fix? I thought that when yum was updating it was accessing repos over the internet. I'm confused as to where the error is. For what it's worth:

# ls /var/lib/rpm
Basenames __db.000 __db.002 Dirnames Group Name Providename Pubkeys Requireversion Sigmd5
Conflictname __db.001 __db.003 Filemd5s Installtid Packages Provideversion Requirename Sha1header Triggername

[Red Knuckles]

Is it possible that the repos themselves are the problem? These are the 3 I have enabled:

[core]
name=Fedora Core $releasever - $basearch
baseurl=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/$releasever/$basearch/os/
mirrorlist=http://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/mirrorlist?repo=core-$releasever&arch=$basearch
enabled=1
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY

[extras]
name=Fedora Extras $releasever - $basearch
baseurl=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/extras/$releasever/$basearch/
mirrorlist=http://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/mirrorlist?repo=extras-$releasever&arch=$basearch
enabled=1
gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-extras
gpgcheck=1

[updates]
name=Fedora Core $releasever - $basearch - Updates
baseurl=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/updates/$releasever/$basearch/
mirrorlist=http://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/mirrorlist?repo=updates-released-fc$releasever&arch=$basearch
enabled=1
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora

[timdsmith]

No need to reinstall. Do this.

rm /var/lib/rpm __db.*

Note there are two underscores before the db. You also have to run that command as root.

[u-noneinc-s]

Also as a note, Base urls are always commented out in favor of the mirrors. The mirrors spread the load.

Speaking of load, if you get yum working and then suddenly get "can't find valid baseurl" it could be because the mirrors are overloaded (or down for maintainance) and you can uncomment the baseurl line(s) but it's advised to recomment them when done (or when mirrors are back up).

After you rm the db, you may need to rebuild it, I believe it is rpm --rebuilddb (check man rpm to be sure)

[Red Knuckles]

No need to reinstall. Do this.

rm /var/lib/rpm __db.*

Note there are two underscores before the db. You also have to run that command as root.

I did that and:

# rm /var/lib/rpm __db.*
rm: cannot remove directory `/var/lib/rpm': Is a directory
rm: cannot lstat `__db.*': No such file or directory
# rm /var/lib/rpm__db.*
rm: cannot lstat `/var/lib/rpm__db.*': No such file or directory

[u-noneinc-s]

Don't know if this has anything to do with your problem, but I just loaded your mirrors into FF and got # no repository available for repo extras (same for updates and core).
I get a 404 when I load my mirrors, (but yum still runs fine and finds my mirrors). I am not running FC6, but I don't have a ? in my mirror urls

I do know I have browsed mirrors before (it's just a big list of mirrors that yum uses and rotates).
I don't know why they are not at the moment browsable?

[u-noneinc-s]

I believe that was supposed to be # rm /var/lib/rpm/__db.* (but I'm not sure you want to remove all of them. I thought it was just --000.db
I could very well be wrong.
If timdsmith could confirm???

[timdsmith]

Yes. You do have to remove them all. And yes, it was supposed to be

rm /var/lib/rpm/__db*

Sorry. Typo on my part. and you also have to rebuild the database. Forgot that part too. That's a shame since I just had to do this on my box yesterday. Must be getting old.

rpm --rebuilddb

is the command for that.

[u-noneinc-s]

Hey, if it was baseball, you'd be batting 333.
Besides, you should see some of the mistakes I've made here lately. And the fog just keeps getting denser. (Is that a word?)

[timdsmith]

Hey, if it was baseball, you'd be batting 333.

Hey!!! 333 ain't bad!!

[Red Knuckles]

Yes. You do have to remove them all. And yes, it was supposed to be

rm /var/lib/rpm/__db*

Sorry. Typo on my part. and you also have to rebuild the database. Forgot that part too. That's a shame since I just had to do this on my box yesterday. Must be getting old.

rpm --rebuilddb

is the command for that.

I got the solution to this problem from 2 different forums. I replaced the # sign in front of the 3 base urls where I had removed them. Also corrected the 'gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY'
line to read
'gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora'
in the 'core' repos.

Then I ran:

# rm /var/lib/rpm/__db*
# rpm --rebuilddb
# yum -y update

and it updated 29 packages without error or warning. Thanks Lenard [LinuxQuestions.org]. Thanks timdsmith [Fedora Forum].

[hermouche]

I got the solution to this problem from 2 different forums. I replaced the # sign in front of the 3 base urls where I had removed them. Also corrected the 'gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY'
line to read
'gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora'
in the 'core' repos.

Then I ran:

# rm /var/lib/rpm/__db*
# rpm --rebuilddb
# yum -y update

and it updated 29 packages without error or warning. Thanks Lenard [LinuxQuestions.org]. Thanks timdsmith [Fedora Forum].

Hy

i've got the same problem, could you please give the exact path of the
" I replaced the # sign in front of the 3 base urls where I had removed them. Also corrected the 'gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY'
line to read
'gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora'
in the 'core' repos."

I mean where is it the #sign.... and gpgkey=...........

Well in other words where should i go
cd /etc.....???

thanks

i am really waiting for your answer, because i've got the same problem 100%

thanks again

red