Dear friends,


I have a rhel3 server which cannot do any rpm command. I have posted a thread at http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=461646

I haven't resolve the issue. But anyway, i wish to try to use the rhel3 rescue cd to start the rpm command from cd.
But i got a few things which worry me.

Currently there is a clamav rpm running fine on the server, but due to update requirement, i need to uninstall the rpm based clamav and install newer version. but as described by the thread from above, the rpm command on the server no longer work. My aim now is to use the rescue cd to boot and then use the run the rpm command from cd to uninstall currently used clamav, then install newer version of clamav rpm onto it. If its successful, i hope so....then will be great...

but I am wondering if i can solve the problem that way....because i think the /var/lib/rpm folder is in the harddisk, and it is somehow corrupted. And I am not sure if i run a rpm command from rescue cd, will it work if the /var/lib/rpm folder is already corrupted. yet I cannot do any rpm rebuild command on the machine itself because any rpm cannot work anymore.

I couldn't risk and try yet because the machine is a dynamic mail server...if i do it and rpm install and uninstall not work....then the server will not be able to up again...

I just want to get expert opinion if this would help solve the rpm broken command problem and i can try on a simulation before the real installtion can proceed....
I am surprised no one seems to have face the same type of rpm problem like mine before...searched through google and rpm mailing list i can't find anyone with same problem....

please help me with this...thanks a lot for taking time helping..!!

regards
Y

I have a rhel3 server which cannot do any rpm command. (..) I haven't resolve the issue.
Do you have backups that include /var/lib/rpm?


Currently there is a clamav rpm running fine on the server, but due to update requirement, i need to uninstall the rpm based clamav and install newer version.
Should be upgraded (-U).


I am wondering if i can solve the problem that way....because i think the /var/lib/rpm folder is in the harddisk, and it is somehow corrupted. And I am not sure if i run a rpm command from rescue cd, will it work if the /var/lib/rpm folder is already corrupted.
rpm itself (binaries) will work but they need information in the RPM database to perform any install/remove actions. You would use the Rescue CD if you encounter for instance broken or nonexistant libraries that keep rpm from working. Before doing anything else fixing the RPM database is important. I recently did a thread about that here: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=475900

Hi unSpawn,

I still have the /var/lib/rpm backup, but the content is somehow weird, inside the rpm folder there are only these:

Basenames __db.001 __db.002 __db.003 Name Packages Providename Pubkeys

seems like many things are missing....

Thanks friend for your attention,

Regards
Y

I still have the /var/lib/rpm backup
Uh. I mean do you have any backups of this box? Like on removable media or another system?
Not /var/lib/rpm. That's the default RPM database location.


but the content is somehow weird, inside the rpm folder there are only these
So you deleted some files? Is that it?

And did you look at the other thread?

Hi Mr UnSpawn,

thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately no...i don't have a backup for the qmail box..only one machine...

No, i did not delete anything at all. After i found out the rpm command was broken, i jusst backup the /var/lib/rpm somewhere then i tried those rpm --rebuilddb command, meaning i did not change anything in the /var/lib/rpm. However i believe the /var/lib/rpm is useless because it is a backup after the rpm binary has been corrupted...i do not have the prior corrupted /var/lib/rpm, and seriously i never expect that i need to backup that, but from now one i think i have to backup all my /var/lib/rpm folder in every linux machine.

I did read the other thread, but it was inconclusive. I checked the rpmkpgs log files, it has content in there but i cannot find anything with clamav rpm in there. Its weird cozi have that installed in that machine.

thanks for your help...

Regards
Y

I did read the other thread, but it was inconclusive.
Well it may be inconclusive but at least the thread includes a workaround to reinitialise the database and refill it. See if you can use that. If you have any questions about the procedure prior to executing it, ask here, OK? I don't check the other thread for answers.