add remove software not working

[mbesselm]

I am using Fedora 10 on a Dell Latitude E5400 laptop. I am trying to install new software and when I bring up the Add/Remove Software app I get the following "Internal System Error":

Error Type: <type 'exceptions.TypeError'>
Error Value: rpmdb open failed
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/yum/yumBackend.py, line 2314, in <module>
main()
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/yum/yumBackend.py, line 2310, in main
backend = PackageKitYumBackend('', lock=True)
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/yum/yumBackend.py, line 182, in __init__
self.yumbase = PackageKitYumBase(self)
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/yum/yumBackend.py, line 2253, in __init__
self.repos.confirm_func = self._repo_gpg_confirm
File : /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/yum/__init__.py, line 589, in <lambda>
repos = property(fget=lambda self: self._getRepos(),
File : /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/yum/__init__.py, line 395, in _getRepos
self._getConfig() # touch the config class first
File : /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/yum/__init__.py, line 192, in _getConfig
self._conf = config.readMainConfig(startupconf)
File : /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/yum/config.py, line 774, in readMainConfig
yumvars['releasever'] = _getsysver(startupconf.installroot, startupconf.distroverpkg)
File : /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/yum/config.py, line 844, in _getsysver
idx = ts.dbMatch('provides', distroverpkg)


How can I fix this?

Thanks

[JohnVV]

this error

Error Value: rpmdb open failed

means that the database is messed up to fix run this
AS root in the terminal ( su -)

su -
( your root password when asked )
yum clean all       ( this might give an error if so do the next one )
rpm --rebuilddb
yum clean all 
yum update

[tjoney]

I am having this problem as well. I tried what you said JohnVV, but I still get this:
rpm --rebuilddb
rpmdb: Thread/process 4540/3085874880 failed: Thread died in Berkeley DB library
error: db4 error(-30975) from dbenv->failchk: DB_RUNRECOVERY: Fatal error, run database recovery
error: cannot open Packages index using db3 - (-30975)
[root@mylaptop ~]# yum clean all
Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit
rpmdb: Thread/process 4540/3085874880 failed: Thread died in Berkeley DB library
error: db4 error(-30975) from dbenv->failchk: DB_RUNRECOVERY: Fatal error, run database recovery
error: cannot open Packages index using db3 - (-30975)
error: cannot open Packages database in /var/lib/rpm
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/yum", line 29, in <module>
yummain.user_main(sys.argv[1:], exit_code=True)
File "/usr/share/yum-cli/yummain.py", line 229, in user_main
errcode = main(args)
File "/usr/share/yum-cli/yummain.py", line 84, in main
base.getOptionsConfig(args)
File "/usr/share/yum-cli/cli.py", line 184, in getOptionsConfig
enabled_plugins=self.optparser._splitArg(opts.enab leplugins))
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/yum/__init__.py", line 192, in _getConfig
self._conf = config.readMainConfig(startupconf)
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/yum/config.py", line 774, in readMainConfig
yumvars['releasever'] = _getsysver(startupconf.installroot, startupconf.distroverpkg)
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/yum/config.py", line 844, in _getsysver
idx = ts.dbMatch('provides', distroverpkg)
TypeError: rpmdb open failed


Any help would be appreciated.

[JohnVV]

then try this, remove the database file first

su -
rm -f /var/lib/rpm/__db*
yum clean all
rpm --rebuilddb
yum update

[kurtdriver]

Thank you John, This problem arose last night for me and
rm -f /var/lib/rpm/__db* solved it. Cheers, Kurt

[JohnVV]

normally this" rm -f /var/lib/rpm/__db*" is not needed BUT sometimes it is