Well, first the apt-get function wouldn't read my package list, then RPM wouldn't read my database, then I attempted to rebuild the RPM database and it gave this error after about 3 minutes:

error: db4 error(16) from dbenv->remove: Device or resource busy

So whats happening and what can I do to fix this?

the database may well have become locked, a stale file may be sitting there. try adding a couple of extra -v's to the commend line for a stupid amount of information.

Well, there was about 10,000 lines of output, but I gave the last 20 or so that looked important:

D: read h# 818 Header V3 DSA signature: OK, key ID db42a60e
D: +++ h# 820 Header V3 DSA signature: OK, key ID db42a60e
D: adding "switchdesk-gnome" to Name index.
D: adding "switchdesk-gnome" to Basenames index.
D: adding "User Interface/Desktops" to Group index.
D: adding 13 entries to Requirename index.
D: adding "switchdesk-gnome" to Providename index.
D: adding "/usr/bin/" to Dirnames index.
D: adding 13 entries to Requireversion index.
D: adding "3.9.8-15" to Provideversion index.
D: adding 1 entries to Installtid index.
D: adding 1 entries to Sigmd5 index.
D: adding "d0d20802fbb7306159ca28db14c44a0dad149086" to Sha1header index.
D: adding 1 entries to Filemd5s index.
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpm/Packages
D: closed db environment /var/lib/rpm/Packages
error: db4 error(16) from dbenv->remove: Device or resource busy
D: removed db environment /var/lib/rpm/Packages
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Pubkeys
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Filemd5s
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Sha1header
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Sigmd5
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Installtid
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Provideversion
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Requireversion
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Dirnames
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Triggername
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Conflictname
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Providename
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Requirename
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Group
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Basenames
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Name
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Packages
D: closed db environment /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Packages
D: removed db environment /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231/Packages
D: removing directory /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.3231
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpm/Pubkeys
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpm/Packages
D: closed db environment /var/lib/rpm/Packages

Try this:

rm -f /var/lib/rpm/__db*
rpm --rebuilddb

Well, I have slightly different output now:

D: adding 14 entries to Filemd5s index.
D: read h# 818 Header V3 DSA signature: OK, key ID db42a60e
D: +++ h# 820 Header V3 DSA signature: OK, key ID db42a60e
D: adding "libgcj" to Name index.
D: adding 20 entries to Basenames index.
D: adding "System Environment/Libraries" to Group index.
D: adding 26 entries to Requirename index.
D: adding 2 entries to Providename index.
D: adding "kaffe" to Conflictname index.
D: adding 7 entries to Dirnames index.
D: adding 26 entries to Requireversion index.
D: adding 2 entries to Provideversion index.
D: adding 1 entries to Installtid index.
D: adding 1 entries to Sigmd5 index.
D: adding "e844ca9218e078e4fa3f8dee6e1781d5c75cb211" to Sha1header index.
D: adding 20 entries to Filemd5s index.
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpm/Packages
D: closed db environment /var/lib/rpm/Packages
error: db4 error(16) from dbenv->remove: Device or resource busy
D: removed db environment /var/lib/rpm/Packages
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Pubkeys
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Filemd5s
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Sha1header
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Sigmd5
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Installtid
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Provideversion
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Requireversion
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Dirnames
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Triggername
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Conflictname
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Providename
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Requirename
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Group
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Basenames
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Name
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Packages
D: closed db environment /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Packages
D: removed db environment /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000/Packages
D: removing directory /var/lib/rpmrebuilddb.4000
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpm/Pubkeys
D: closed db index /var/lib/rpm/Packages
D: closed db environment /var/lib/rpm/Packages


Well I have to go to work now, I'll check back around midnight or so. Thanks in advance!!

It could be a zombied proccess - see if there are any rpm commands still running (if so then kill them):
ps -ef | grep rpm

I've rebooted several times, I doubt that it is a stale process, but I'll check first thing in the morning.

Nope, no stale progs.

I did some research on the net and I'm not finding anything. Does anyone have any clue whats happening?

Not that I'm experienced in any way, but can you find out which "Device or resource" is busy now? I mean, that's an awful difference, there, device or resource. Maybe then you see where it is locked.

I wish I knew......

Finally! Thanks to a recent post with the same problem it was fixed with one command line:

root]# LD_ASSUME_KERNEL=2.4.19 rpm --rebuilddb

This came from: http://www.redhat.com/advice/ask_shadowman.html

And the URL came from: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...threadid=67572

I just wish cnjohnson would have read my post ealier. Thanks, you rock!