I installed arch linux for the first time, version 0.6 (it was necessary for me to use the older version). I have a working internet connection from the Arch install.

pacman is not working at all.
I cannot even issue pacman --sync --refresh
when I do, Pacman gives me a string of message that look like this
I've edited the pacman.conf, to make sure that the mirrors are correct -still the the problem persists. I cannot do anything with pacman.

I also tried downloading the latest pacman and installing it, but I wasn't able to complete the install. I couldn't find current directions on the internet and the README that came with it did not have current directions (it tells me to run scripts which are not present in the unzipped package).

If you comment out the current server in pacman.conf, can you get pacman to work for the extra repo? Current.db.tar.gz is just the headers list for the current repo isn't it? dunno really. hmm.

well.. what you should be running is 'pacman -Syu' and that should work better...

Besides.. Arch is a rolling distro.. so it doesn't matter if you used the 0.4 Arch disc.. after your first 'pacman -Syu' you're going to be running 0.7 (or the most current Arch..)

Also.. I know it's generally suggested to use the base only first.. but I find that using the full disc causes a lot less headaches from the start.., and then I can remove the stuff I don't need from the get-go...

thanks for your replies. Unfortunately I don't have the computer right now. I'll get it back in four weeks.

its been a long time, but I got my laptop back.

I commented out the current server lines in my pacman.conf and then tried the "pacman --sync --refresh" and the "pacman -Syu" commands. Arch tries quickly tries to access all of the hosts one by one, but it finds all of them unavailable, then it asks me if I have "used --refresh yet?"

I also tried these WITHOUT commenting out the current server lines. I experienced the same problem that I reported in the original post.

perhaps if someone would post the link to a host that they KNOW is available, then I could give that a try.

Have you followed the wiki as far as adding new packages?
http://www.archlinux.org/docs/en/gui....html#packages

I would double check pacman.conf. I know that the format for the repos has changed, but i'm not sure what version of pacman you are using. It is possible you are using a older pacman/pacman.conf and that is where your prob is.
Also check #archlinux

If it loops through all the hosts then I'd be guessing that your network connection isn't up. Can you ping outside sites?

oh, I should have responded sooner.
I found a copy of someone else's pacman.conf and I had to add "/os/i686" to the end of each of the ftp sources. That did the trick and I was able to pacman -Syu

anyways thanks