Problem with installpkg - external compression utility gzip missing

samkz · 04-17-2009, 06:43 PM

root@munky:/usr/local/src/slackware/a# installpkg aaa_base-12.2.0-noarch-1.tgz
Cannot install aaa_base-12.2.0-noarch-1.tgz: external compression utility gzip missing

This machine has been working fine for a long time. I upgrade it to slackware-current constantly.

It's been only about a month since I upgraded.

I rsync'ed all of the slackware-current/slackware directory and proceeded to upgrade all of the packages as I normally do.

I started with glibc-solibs-2.9-i486-3.tgz, then all of a/ then all of ap/ then d/ and it fell over at kernel-headers-2.6.29.1_smp-x86-2.tgz where I got the above error message.

I've checked gzip and gunzip, and they work fine.
I've rebooted the box.

I can try loading a kernel from a slackware CD and try upgrading everything.?

any thoughts?

rworkman · 04-17-2009, 10:09 PM

Is "which" installed?

samkz · 04-17-2009, 10:46 PM

no, but struggling to get it installed now

root@munky:/usr/local/src/slackware/a# installpkg which-2.20-i486-1.tgz
Cannot install which-2.20-i486-1.tgz: external compression utility gzip missing

ok, installed it on another box and copied /usr/bin/which to the failed box.

root@munky:/usr/local/src/slackware/a# installpkg which-2.20-i486-1.tgz
then worked and I can happily upgrade other packages.

Thanks alot

rworkman · 04-17-2009, 11:58 PM

Can you confirm that this fixes the original error?
Save this to /root/installpkg.diff:

Code:

--- installpkg.orig     2009-04-17 23:49:50.585080041 -0500
+++ installpkg  2009-04-17 23:52:58.418195838 -0500
@@ -311,11 +311,14 @@
 
   # Test presence of external compression utility:
   if ! which $packagecompression 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null ; then
-    EXITSTATUS=5
-    if [ "$MODE" = "install" ]; then
-      echo "Cannot install $package:  external compression utility $packagecompression missing"
+    # Maybe 'which' is somehow not installed
+    if ! $packagecompression --help 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null ; then
+      EXITSTATUS=5
+      if [ "$MODE" = "install" ]; then
+        echo "Cannot install $package:  external compression utility $packagecompression missing"
+      fi
+      continue;
     fi
-    continue;
   fi
 
   # Determine package's priority:

Then do this:

Code:

cd /sbin
patch -p0 < /root/installpkg.diff
removepkg which

Then see if you are able to use installpkg to reinstall the which package.

samkz · 04-19-2009, 12:48 AM

Hi, I cannot confirm that the above worked, as I fixed the problem by loading from a Slackware 12.1 CD.
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
root=/mnt
then installpkg /etc/usr/local/src/slackware/a/*.tgz (where I keep my packages.

grissiom · 04-20-2009, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rworkman

Can you confirm that this fixes the original error?
Save this to /root/installpkg.diff:

Code:

--- installpkg.orig     2009-04-17 23:49:50.585080041 -0500
+++ installpkg  2009-04-17 23:52:58.418195838 -0500
@@ -311,11 +311,14 @@
 
   # Test presence of external compression utility:
   if ! which $packagecompression 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null ; then
-    EXITSTATUS=5
-    if [ "$MODE" = "install" ]; then
-      echo "Cannot install $package:  external compression utility $packagecompression missing"
+    # Maybe 'which' is somehow not installed
+    if ! $packagecompression --help 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null ; then
+      EXITSTATUS=5
+      if [ "$MODE" = "install" ]; then
+        echo "Cannot install $package:  external compression utility $packagecompression missing"
+      fi
+      continue;
     fi
-    continue;
   fi
 
   # Determine package's priority:

Then do this:

Code:

cd /sbin
patch -p0 < /root/installpkg.diff
removepkg which

Then see if you are able to use installpkg to reinstall the which package.

Yes, this patch can fix the problem.(actually I do "mv /bin/which /bin/which.bak" instead of remove the pkg)

But then slackpkg complain which is an other story:

Code:

No 'which' command found, please install it if you want to
use slackpkg.