[SOLVED] slackware 14.2 repair installation

lattimro · 07-18-2021, 09:22 PM

Hi everyone,

5.10.17
is there a way to fix a bad installation? I probably removed some packages or I did not installed properly or both and I have a next to nothing system, no ping/dhclient/slackpkg/wget/curl and so on. There are lots of packages in /var/log/packages mostly for X (X broken obviously)
installpkg and pkgtool works btw.

Tried upgradepkg --reinstall
no output

can not raise up network
I can fix it with a live media but I am wondering if this can be repaired as is. Thanks a lot!

frankbell · 07-18-2021, 09:29 PM

Given the number of issues you mention, it's probably best to back up any crucial data to external media and reinstall, especially as you report that you cannot connect to your network. You might be able to repair it manually, but it's likely to be more effort than it's worth.

Just my two cents.

lattimro · 07-18-2021, 09:40 PM

I agree with you but I have another good standing slack on VM. I would like to spend some resources to try fixing this broken one as a learning experience. I am relatively new in BSD-like world therefore anything will be much appreciated. Thanks so much!

hazel · 07-19-2021, 04:21 AM

If you have a working Slackware, you can install missing packages in the crippled one by using installpkg with an alternative root. Either set $ROOT to the root directory of your shot system or use the --root option to set it.

yancek · 07-19-2021, 07:24 AM

Quote:

is there a way to fix a bad installation?

Of course, and it is a lot simpler if the user has an idea of what the problem is but you list a number of possibilities. Since there are a number of possibilities, where would you start. Seems like this would result in frustration possibly w/o a solution.

Is your working Slackware on VM on the same computer on another OS?

Simplest solution would be a data backup and reinstall, select to not format the / partition during the install which should retain functioning software and personal data.

lattimro · 07-19-2021, 08:06 AM

I would install the missing packages but I do not know which ones are missing.
Yes, the slackware guests are on VM

igadoter · 07-19-2021, 08:57 AM

There is no learning experience here. Crashes time to time happen. But usually for different reasons. If you fix this now - it will not give you benefit in next crash. Learning experience is only in repetitive tasks. So save yourself time gaining worthless knowledge and reinstall system.

computersavvy · 07-19-2021, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by igadoter

There is no learning experience here. Crashes time to time happen. But usually for different reasons. If you fix this now - it will not give you benefit in next crash. Learning experience is only in repetitive tasks. So save yourself time gaining worthless knowledge and reinstall system.

That is a rather negative attitude. Every experience is a learning experience. Every one of us learns from everything we do, whether it is one-off or repeated. Troubleshooting is a key part of learning and the OP has a "what not to do" and "how to fix" opportunity.

While I agree that the reinstall would be quickest and easiest, that is the lazy mans way of avoiding a challenge. The man already said he did things that broke the system so let him learn how to fix what was done instead of throwing water on his eagerness to learn.

colorpurple21859 · 07-19-2021, 09:33 AM

From your first post it looks like your missing packages from n and ap and maybe l. If you insist on attempting to fix without reinstalling the whole system, reinstall all of n and ap and maybe l using the install medium.

igadoter · 07-19-2021, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by computersavvy

That is a rather negative attitude. Every experience is a learning experience.

It is about gaining skills which can be used in solving some tasks. No skills here to learn. Because next crash will be for completely different reasons. So knowledge gained here will be useless. Even worse. It can misguide. Just accept things time to time happen.

quickbreakfast · 07-19-2021, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lattimro

5.10.17

If that is your kernel it's a long way in front.

my 14.2 kernel is 4.4.261

Did you update your mkinitrd file and does lilo point to it?

Quote:

is there a way to fix a bad installation?

Probably.

But I don't know what it is. And as others have suggested a reinstall is probably the easiest way out.

Quote:

I probably removed some packages or I did not installed properly or both

What you removed will be in your root terminal history. Therefore just reverse what you have removed.

Quote:

installpkg and pkgtool works btw.

can not raise up network

Interesting.

If installpkg works you are connecting to a mirror, so why you are not raising a network is beyond my knowledge.

Quote:

Tried upgradepkg --reinstall
no output

Isn't this supposed to have a package at the end?

lattimro · 07-19-2021, 09:41 PM

installpkg command is available but I can not connect to a mirror. I said ping command not found, the same dhclient.
The ultimate question: Is slackpkg upgrade-all safe? Is anything that can prevent to break the slack?

I wanted to perform a
Full system upgrade
To perform a full system upgrade, please follow these steps (as root user):

Code:

slackpkg update
slackpkg install-new
slackpkg upgrade-all

slackpkg clean-system

https://docs.slackware.com/slackware:slackpkg

colorpurple21859 · 07-19-2021, 11:42 PM

Post the output of

Code:

df -h

lattimro · 07-20-2021, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colorpurple21859

Post the output of

Code:

df -h

Code:

bash-5.1$ df -TH
Filesystem     Type      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/root      ext4       19G   11G  7.5G  59% /
devtmpfs       devtmpfs  505M     0  505M   0% /dev
tmpfs          tmpfs      34M  1.2M   33M   4% /run
tmpfs          tmpfs     509M     0  509M   0% /dev/shm
cgroup_root    tmpfs     8.4M     0  8.4M   0% /sys/fs/cgroup
Downloads      vboxsf    295G   83G  212G  29% /media/sf_Downloads
tmpfs          tmpfs     102M   13k  102M   1% /run/user/1000
bash-5.1$

colorpurple21859 · 07-20-2021, 09:10 AM

What lines do you have un-commented in /etc/slackpkg/mirrors