I had mandrake installed and it was updating just fine, but i just re-installed it a few minutes ago, and i get error messages every time i try to update it.
It says this when, after like ten minutes it cant update.

Errors:
retrieved of source hdlist (or synthesis) failed
no hdlist file found for medium "update_source"
problem reading synthesis file of medium "update_source"

Sorry if this is answered somewhere here, i didnt see it. I love this site and have been coming here for a while. If anyone can help me, id really appreciate it. Thanks.

The path to the rpm repository is either wrong or not accessible. Is it on CD ROM or a download mirror. If it is a download mirror, the server may just be down.

well, i tried every american server and got the same results. I was trying to get to updates online cause i know there were a few.

I usually update through the Mandrake Update thing. I use the mirror from carroll.cac.psu.edu something or other, to long to list. That is the only one I can ever get to work though. The rest show everything up to date. That was in 9.1 and 9.2.

You can also try this site if you want. I have never used it though but have heard it works.

http://plf.zarb.org/~nanardon/urpmiweb.php#third

Up to you on that one. Don't forget the commands close to the bottom.

Hope that helps.

awesome, i will check it out and see what happnes. Im amazed at how fast you guys reply. Everyone at this site rocks. I have only been into linux for a week now, but love it so much and this site has taught me about everything i know. Thanks again.

ok, i tried the ftp you suggested dalek, and same thing.
I tried the site you suggested, which looked incredibly cool for updating mandrake, and i did the commands, still the same thing, except it just freezes on me. I think that maybe there is something wrong on my end, but i dont know what could be wrong this time from the last install. If anything i could just re-install, nothing important on here, but thats not the best way to deal with an error.
Maybe its the hdlist file.

Alright, i let it just do whatever it is its doing, and now its been on scince my last post, it doesnt seem to be downloading anything at all. I does however every once in a while spit out a line of ftp address with hdlist.cz, hdlist1.cz, and hdlist2.cz as the file being downloaded. Does that mean its downloading and installing? I have DSL and when i was updating the other times with my previous install, it was done in a matter of seconds. I dont know whats going on at all.

The header lists are big files and it takes time for them to download and get processed.

Yep, it does. Sometimes the limit is on the server side too. Basically that is a list of all the files that are new and the depenancies they have.

If it is doing that, you are off to a start anyway.

Later

well, it seems to try and connect to a ftp server for over an hour before it decides that the server is down. I think that is odd and maybe why it is taking some time. Well, for now im not gona worry about it much. I guess ill just check the servers again tomorrow.

The server you are pointing to with your Mandrake Sources configuration may be down temporarily or your download source for update is pointing to the wrong place maybe? I assume your system is running now, so you can go into "Software Media Mnager" and select different update site. Under KDE menu Configuration:Packaging:Software Media Manager. Run this and delete your old update_source and add a new one back. It will give you the opportunity to select a site.

Maybe you have problems connecting to ftp servers as I have. Try updates server that also has http access.

My update_source properties:
URL: http://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/mandrake/Ma...dates/9.2/RPMS
synthesis/hdlist: ../base/hdlist.cz

Hope that solves your problems.

UPDATE!

The carrol.cac.psu.edu seems to be having trouble of some kind. It gets part way through the download then dies. Unlike Gentoo it doesn't resume where it left off, it has to start over. This is on several different packages and gets to different points in the download.

Anyway, I switched the update server to linux.cc.gatech.edu. It seems to work OK.

Anybody know how to get in touch with them so they can check the server and see what is up?

Later