RH Enterprise Linux3: Rebuild /usr/bin?

AndrewBS42 · 08-16-2006, 12:05 PM

We're running RedHat Etnerprise Linux3 on a Dell box.
Last week, somebody deleted the /usr/bin directory.
Unfortunately, we have no backup of that directory.
We do have the original installation media.
Is there a way to repair or rebuild the /usr/bin directory from that without actually reformatting the drives and starating from scratch?

All replies welcome, please email direct
AndrewBS42@hotmail.com

unSpawn · 08-16-2006, 01:12 PM

Is there a way to repair or rebuild the /usr/bin directory from that without actually reformatting the drives and starting from scratch?
Why not?:

Code:

cd $TEMP
rpm -qa --dump|grep /usr/bin|awk '{print $1}'|while read bin; do
rpm -q --whatprovides "$bin"; done|sort|uniq|while read name; do
find /mountpoint -type f -name ${name}\*.rpm|head -1|while read rpm; do
rpm2cpio $rpm > ./${name}.cpio && \
cat ./${name}.cpio|cpio -ivd --no-absolute-filenames "./usr/bin/*"
rm -f ./${name}.cpio; done; done; done

Now your binaries are in $TEMP/usr/bin. To help you install them and change ownership and access rights you can generate them from the RPM database as well:

Code:

rpm -qa --dump|grep /usr/bin|awk '{print $1, $5, $6, $7}'|while read bin p o g; do 
[ "${p:2:1}" = "2" ] && d="#symlink"; echo "${p:3} $o $g $bin ${d}"; done

Using output to actually install the binaries "is left as an exercise to the reader".

All replies welcome, please email direct
Simple rule, no exceptions:
Ask question here, get answer here.

w3bd3vil · 08-16-2006, 01:36 PM

I just wanted to try this out, so I deleted my /usr/bin and ran your script.
I get an error
syntax error near unexpected token 'done'

unSpawn · 08-16-2006, 05:55 PM

I just wanted to try this out, so I deleted my /usr/bin
Neat!

I get an errorsyntax error near unexpected token 'done'
Bummer.

Which "done"? You did replace the "/mountpoint" placeholder with the directoryname where your rpms reside in? Can you run the script as "sh -x scriptname 2>&1|scriptname.log" and post the contents here (please skip posting repeats)? Thanks.

w3bd3vil · 08-16-2006, 07:46 PM

error on this line.
rpm -q --whatprovides "$bin"; done|sort|uniq|while read name; do

I changed the mountpoint to /mnt/Fedora/RPMS, thats my dvd.

unSpawn · 08-16-2006, 08:27 PM

error on this line.
rpm -q --whatprovides "$bin"; done|sort|uniq|while read name; do
Hmm. Try this:

Code:

]$ set -xe
]$ rpm -qa --dump|grep /usr/bin|awk '{print $1}'|while read bin; do 
rpm -q --whatprovides "$bin" >/dev/null || echo "\"${bin}\""; done

I ran it on two boxen and nothing weird came up.

w3bd3vil · 08-16-2006, 08:40 PM

ok now the error comes to this line
rm -f ./${name}.cpio; done; done; done

unSpawn · 08-16-2006, 08:56 PM

ok now the error comes to this line
Sorry, not enough information.
Please post actual debug output.

w3bd3vil · 08-16-2006, 09:02 PM

syntax error near unexpected token 'done'
rm -f ./${name}.cpio; done; done; done

ah, well, if this is causing you problems, dont reply back. I will reinstall, was just doing it to learn something.

unSpawn · 08-17-2006, 06:06 AM

ah, well, if this is causing you problems, dont reply back.
If something causes problems then one *should* post.

I will reinstall, was just doing it to learn something.
It's so fsckin simple. I asked you twice to post back debug output which you didn't on both occasions. If you can't or won't cooperate by posting debug output then tell me how I am supposed to determine what goes wrong on your box? Cuz my ESP is at an alltime low.

w3bd3vil · 08-17-2006, 07:24 AM

ok, sorry for the short posts.
here goes

I have removed the first line cd $TEMP, dont think that would cause a problem.
cat trial.sh

Quote:

rpm -qa --dump|grep /usr/bin|awk '{print $1}'|while read bin; do
rpm -q --whatprovides "$bin" >/dev/null || echo "\"${bin}\""; done|sort|uniq|while read name; do
find /mnt/Fedora/RPMS -type f -name ${name}\*.rpm|head -1|while read rpm; do
rpm2cpio $rpm > ./${name}.cpio && \
cat ./${name}.cpio|cpio -ivd --no-absolute-filenames "./usr/bin/*"
rm -f ./${name}.cpio; done; done; done

sh -x trial.sh 2>&1 | trial.log

Quote:

-bash: trial.log : command not found

sh trial.sh 2>&1

Quote:

trial.sh:line 6: syntax error near unexpected token 'done'
trial.sh:line 6: 'rm -f ./${name}.cpio; done; done; done'

this is where I am

Quote:

chmod 777 /root/tmp
pwd
/root/tmp

unSpawn · 08-17-2006, 08:32 AM

sh -x trial.sh 2>&1 | trial.log
Should have read "sh -x trial.sh 2>&1 | tee trial.log"

trial.sh:line 6: 'rm -f ./${name}.cpio; done; done; done'
One "done" too much. The script should look like this:

Code:

rpm -qa --dump|grep /usr/bin|awk '{print $1}'|while read bin; do 
rpm -q --whatprovides "$bin" >/dev/null; done|sort|uniq|while read name; do
find /mnt/Fedora/RPMS -type f -name ${name}\*.rpm|while read rpm; do
rpm2cpio $rpm > ./${name}.cpio && \
cat ./${name}.cpio|cpio -ivd --no-absolute-filenames "./usr/bin/*"
rm -f ./${name}.cpio; done; done

Definately should work now. Thanks for debugging.

w3bd3vil · 08-17-2006, 08:51 AM

after removing the extra done
I still get the error

Quote:

trial.sh:line 6: syntax error near unexpected token 'done'
trial.sh:line 6: 'rm -f ./${name}.cpio; done; done'

I knew there was a extra done and had removed it earlier, but it made no difference so I let it remained in the script.

w3bd3vil · 08-17-2006, 12:11 PM

ok I figured out why the script doesnt workout.
uniq and find both commands are in the /usr/bin directory, so this wont work.
although uniq can be done by a sed command
sed '$!N; /^$.*$\n\1$/!P; D'

next, you would need rpm2cpio which again is in /usr/bin/

I will see if I can do this some other way.

w3bd3vil · 08-17-2006, 01:06 PM

now this is totally awesome, I finally got the script to work and now my dead system is backup with everything.
cool unspawn, your the best!
didnt know rpm could do this!

anyway, what I did was got linux rescue mode and copy the files find, rpm2cpio,uniqetc. to my deleted /usr/bin. rebooted, ran unspawn's script and I got back my /usr/bin, totally awesome.

one thing though, I ran the second script it gives all command not found errors, I guess its missing the work "chmod" in it.