I am an idiot!!!!
 

I was trying to upgrade zlib to the latest version on Mandrake 10.1, so I could run ClamAV-toaster. It refused to do it, so I removed zlib with the rpm -e --nodeps switch. Not a smart move on my part. Now I can't get half of anything to work, imagine that - there were a bunch of dependencies. The bad thing is because of the dependencies I can't use urpmi, rpm -Uvh, or RPMDrak. Does anybody have any ideas - besides format and re-install.

I need to preface this with the fact that I am a linux newb. I actually purchased Mandrake Powerpack back in June. I researched, and everybody said it had the easiest install. So far I have been fairly pleased with it. It seems that maybe FC and Red Hat has more stuff already packaged for it (I don't really know how to re-package them.) Mandrake's updates are a little harder to get, but I am sure I will find a way around that as I learn. The DRAK's were a godsend to a newb though. I have tried to learn the command line stuff, and have learned some of the basics, but the DRAK's made it much easier for a newb. I have had many people try to get me to change, but so far I am loyal to Mandrake. I wish Mandrake was a little more supportive, but I will learn their quirks. Maybe after I get this completed I can figure out how to upgrade to 2005. You guys are awesome - thanks in advance for any help you may have for me.

Use a live cd
get root terminal
mount your install's partition
chroot your path here
mount -t proc none /proc
make sure you have net and upgrade or just reinstall zlib

Live CD?

chroot what path?

knoppix or kanotix....both livecd's will work

my root is sda3 so;
mount /dev/sda3 /mnt/sda3
chroot /mnt/sda3 /bin/bash/
mount -t proc none /proc

now you are in your main installs enviroment
reinstall zlibs pakage

So how do I re-install zlibs at that point? I understand boot to Knoppix, then mount the partition that has root in it. I hope I am right so far. Then chroot the root. Then issue the command - mount -t proc none /proc (what does that do?) How do I go about re-installing the zlibs though? I would normally just issue the urpmi command - I somehow don't think that will work. Thanks for helping a real dummy.

Just do that, issue the urmpi command. What ironwalker is telling you to do is basically boot off a live CD, but then chroot into your existing installation. After you've issued the chroot, try an ls on some directories, everything will look nice and familiar. You might need to source /etc/profile and if you have /home or /etc or something on different partitions you'll need to mount then inside your chroot before you chroot.