Re: broken /var

2006-10-11 Thread David E. Fox
On Wed, 11 Oct 2006 14:54:01 +0200
Johannes Wiedersich <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> I've also had some issues with reiserfs and have always sticked to ext3 
> ever since. I guess the advantages of reiserfs don't warrant experiments 
> on important data. ext3 is rock solid on debian. YMMV.

Well, I had a dodgy disk too. I switched the formatting of it to ext2
for now (switching to ext3 now is trivial). I pulled out some of my
remaining hair :), and managed to fix the postfix issue. after a couple
of problems (ended up having to run postfix check a number of times,
make sure all the perms were correct, and comment out a few lines in
the postfix script relating to usr/lib/zoneinfo).


> /var has all variable data of your system except configuration files. 
> Ie. the data on /var depends on your system and cannot be just copied 
> from ubuntu.

I figured as much. log files and such are trivial, they'll be written
over. Postfix now seems to work OK. I now need to recover mysql (as I
only use it for Amarok, it should be easy enough to rebuild that
database), and get the dpkg fixed.

 
> For some help to get from here, see
> http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/reference/ch-package.en.html#s-recover-status
> and the part about recovering from lost /var further down that page.

I took a look at that page, and the link for "var.tar.gz" seems to
point to a link that doesn't contain that content. The two tar files on
the site aren't what is expected.

> snapshots of /etc and recovering the package selection data from /etc/ 
> and /usr/share/doc.

What I'll probably end up having to do is to reinstall from latest
etch. OTOH, how to recover the package selection data? I gather that
(more or less) every file in /usr/share/doc translates somehow into a
debian package, right? 

> Johannes


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Re: broken /var

2006-10-11 Thread Johannes Wiedersich

David E. Fox wrote:

had a big problem this afternoon - had some serious issues with the
reiserfs on /dev/hda1 (an oldish 1.6 gig maxtor), ended up not being
able to fsck it to an orderly state. Had to redo the whole fs, (should
have made a backup) and grab a /var from a ubuntu disk. Obviously,
ubuntu is not debian, but their /var structure should be similar enough
that I can fix the problems after the fact.


I've also had some issues with reiserfs and have always sticked to ext3 
ever since. I guess the advantages of reiserfs don't warrant experiments 
on important data. ext3 is rock solid on debian. YMMV.



2 major problems remain:

using postfix, this has been working for years, ran postfix check to
recreate the missing directories, and my machine
(m206-157.dsl.tsoft.com) is getting the mail fine. I just can't *send*
mail. Postfix tells me that there is an unknown transport for the mail
I try to send, and holds it in the queue.

The other issue - I no longer have a working repository for dpkg
describing what files are installed. Is there a way to recreate it
without a reinstall? I noticed that aptitude upgrade was fetching down
a number of things, but as I don't know what it's upgrading *from* I
don't know if I can trust it. Another thing - aptitude update was going
very slowly and experiencing connection time outs periodically during
the execution, so I don't think I can trust it. On the other hand, dpkg
--get-selections gives me a number of things, but honestly I think
those where what Ubuntu put there? Obviously, that is not what I want.

I'm hoping to not have to reinstall this thing :).


/var has all variable data of your system except configuration files. 
Ie. the data on /var depends on your system and cannot be just copied 
from ubuntu.


For some help to get from here, see
http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/reference/ch-package.en.html#s-recover-status
and the part about recovering from lost /var further down that page.

When I had a similar problem, I didn't feel comfortable to continue 
using the 'recovered' /var and finally reinstalled after taking 
snapshots of /etc and recovering the package selection data from /etc/ 
and /usr/share/doc.


HTH, good luck,

Johannes


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broken /var

2006-10-11 Thread David E. Fox

had a big problem this afternoon - had some serious issues with the
reiserfs on /dev/hda1 (an oldish 1.6 gig maxtor), ended up not being
able to fsck it to an orderly state. Had to redo the whole fs, (should
have made a backup) and grab a /var from a ubuntu disk. Obviously,
ubuntu is not debian, but their /var structure should be similar enough
that I can fix the problems after the fact.

2 major problems remain:

using postfix, this has been working for years, ran postfix check to
recreate the missing directories, and my machine
(m206-157.dsl.tsoft.com) is getting the mail fine. I just can't *send*
mail. Postfix tells me that there is an unknown transport for the mail
I try to send, and holds it in the queue.

The other issue - I no longer have a working repository for dpkg
describing what files are installed. Is there a way to recreate it
without a reinstall? I noticed that aptitude upgrade was fetching down
a number of things, but as I don't know what it's upgrading *from* I
don't know if I can trust it. Another thing - aptitude update was going
very slowly and experiencing connection time outs periodically during
the execution, so I don't think I can trust it. On the other hand, dpkg
--get-selections gives me a number of things, but honestly I think
those where what Ubuntu put there? Obviously, that is not what I want.

I'm hoping to not have to reinstall this thing :).



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Re: broken /var/lib/dpkg/status

2005-11-08 Thread Aaron Stromas
On 11/8/05, Roberto C. Sanchez <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> Is there a graceful way to fix it? TIA,>Edit the file and change it to "libsm6 | xlibs (>> 4.1.0)"
just plain editor? no fancy tools? worked, though. thanks!

-a


Re: broken /var/lib/dpkg/status

2005-11-08 Thread Roberto C. Sanchez
On Tue, Nov 08, 2005 at 05:04:43PM -0500, Aaron Stromas wrote:
> Greetings,
> 
> apt-get complains:
> dpkg: parse error, in file `/var/lib/dpkg/status' near line 18124 package
> `ksysguard':
> `Depends' field, reference to `xlibs': version contains ` '
> 
> Indeed, the status file at that line looks like this
> 
> Replaces: kdebase (<< 4:3.0.0), kdebase-doc (<< 4:3.0.0), kpm (<< 4:3.0.0)
> Depends: kdelibs4 (>= 4:3.3.2-6.2), libart-2.0-2 (>= 2.3.16), libc6 (>=
> 2.3.2.ds1-21), libfam0c102, libgcc1 (>= 1:3.4.1-3), libice6 | xlibs (>>
> 4.1.0), libidn11 (>= 0.5.13), libpng12-0 (>= 1.2.8rel), libqt3c102-mt (>= 3:
> 3.3.4), libsm6 | xlibs (>> 4.1.0- version of `%.250s' to allow
> reinstallation of backup copy), libstdc++5 (>= 1:3.3.4-1), libx11-6 | xlibs
> (>> 4.1.0), libxext6 | xlibs (>> 4.1.0), libxrender1, zlib1g (>= 1:1.2.1),
> ksysguardd (= 4:3.3.2-1sarge1)
> 
> 
> Is there a graceful way to fix it? TIA,
> 
Edit the file and change it to "libsm6 | xlibs (>> 4.1.0)"

-Roberto
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http://familiasanchez.net/~roberto


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broken /var/lib/dpkg/status

2005-11-08 Thread Aaron Stromas
Greetings,

apt-get complains:
dpkg: parse error, in file `/var/lib/dpkg/status' near line 18124 package `ksysguard':
 `Depends' field, reference to `xlibs': version contains ` '

Indeed, the status file at that line looks like this

Replaces: kdebase (<< 4:3.0.0), kdebase-doc (<< 4:3.0.0), kpm (<< 4:3.0.0)
Depends: kdelibs4 (>= 4:3.3.2-6.2), libart-2.0-2 (>= 2.3.16),
libc6 (>= 2.3.2.ds1-21), libfam0c102, libgcc1 (>= 1:3.4.1-3),
libice6 | xlibs (>> 4.1.0), libidn11 (>= 0.5.13), libpng12-0
(>= 1.2.8rel), libqt3c102-mt (>= 3:3.3.4), libsm6 | xlibs
(>> 4.1.0- version of `%.250s' to allow reinstallation of backup
copy), libstdc++5 (>= 1:3.3.4-1), libx11-6 | xlibs (>> 4.1.0),
libxext6 | xlibs (>> 4.1.0), libxrender1, zlib1g (>= 1:1.2.1),
ksysguardd (= 4:3.3.2-1sarge1)


Is there a graceful way to fix it? TIA,

-a





Re: Broken /var filesystem

2005-08-07 Thread David A. Cobb

Joey Hess wrote:


David A. Cobb wrote:
 

I found a huge problem with my /var filesystem.  Or, at least, fsck was 
going to take all day and more fixing 11 inode block numbers each pass.  
It's supposed to be possible to clean /var, or at least FHS suggests 
so.
   



Not really, it only says you can delete data from /var/cache.

 


So, I re-initialized /var.
   



Welcome to a nearly endless world of pain. Where are your backups, BTW?

 


Can anyone identify what directories and files dpkg requires to exist?
   



/var/lib/dpkg/status (empty)
 


Didn't seem to help.  Scr** it!  Back to the CD's

--
David A. Cobb, Software Engineer, Public Access Advocate
"By God's Grace, I am a Christian man; by my actions a great sinner." -- The 
Way of a Pilgrim: R.French, Tr.
Free at last!  Free at last!  Using Linux, I'm FREE at last!
Life is too short to tolerate crappy software!




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Re: Broken /var filesystem

2005-08-07 Thread David A. Cobb

Joey Hess wrote:


David A. Cobb wrote:
 

I found a huge problem with my /var filesystem.  Or, at least, fsck was 
going to take all day and more fixing 11 inode block numbers each pass.  
It's supposed to be possible to clean /var, or at least FHS suggests 
so.
   



Not really, it only says you can delete data from /var/cache.

 


So, I re-initialized /var.
   



Welcome to a nearly endless world of pain. Where are your backups, BTW?
 

Ah, yes.  Backups.  Waiting 'til I can afford a RW+DVD or some other 
suitably high-capacity device to make them onto.  :-!


 


Can anyone identify what directories and files dpkg requires to exist?
   



/var/lib/dpkg/status (empty)
 

If that doesn't work, I figure by tonight I will go back to my 
Woody-CD's and build up again from there.



--
David A. Cobb, Software Engineer, Public Access Advocate
"By God's Grace, I am a Christian man; by my actions a great sinner." -- The 
Way of a Pilgrim: R.French, Tr.
Free at last!  Free at last!  Using Linux, I'm FREE at last!
Life is too short to tolerate crappy software!




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Re: Broken /var filesystem

2005-08-06 Thread Joey Hess
David A. Cobb wrote:
> I found a huge problem with my /var filesystem.  Or, at least, fsck was 
> going to take all day and more fixing 11 inode block numbers each pass.  
> It's supposed to be possible to clean /var, or at least FHS suggests 
> so.

Not really, it only says you can delete data from /var/cache.

> So, I re-initialized /var.

Welcome to a nearly endless world of pain. Where are your backups, BTW?

> Can anyone identify what directories and files dpkg requires to exist?

/var/lib/dpkg/status (empty)

-- 
see shy jo


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Broken /var filesystem

2005-08-06 Thread David A. Cobb
I found a huge problem with my /var filesystem.  Or, at least, fsck was 
going to take all day and more fixing 11 inode block numbers each pass.  
It's supposed to be possible to clean /var, or at least FHS suggests 
so.  And it was messing me up horribly anyway.  So, I re-initialized /var.


One of the things that vanished, of course, is dpkg/apt's memory of what 
is installed.  Right now, dpkg doesn't think dpkg is installed!  
Everything runs, until it needs to refer to the database. 

I googled around, and found some similar reports.  The proposed cure 
involved installing 'mawk' and 'dpkg' with '--force-depends.'  Then I 
should be able to re-install libc6, on which nearly everything depends.


However, before I can get to that point, I get " unable to create 
updated files list file for package mawk: No such file or directory".  
So, it looks as though I need to manually re-create at least one more 
directory.
I checked the "contents.gz" files, but they only mention files that are 
actually present in the tarball, not those created by the installation 
scripts.  I think, if I can get past this, I can get dpkg to re-install 
itself and that will cure whatever other things are destroyed.


Can anyone identify what directories and files dpkg requires to exist?

TIA

--
David A. Cobb, Software Engineer, Public Access Advocate
"By God's Grace, I am a Christian man; by my actions a great sinner." -- The 
Way of a Pilgrim: R.French, Tr.
Free at last!  Free at last!  Using Linux, I'm FREE at last!
Life is too short to tolerate crappy software!




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Re: apt-get totally broken: "/var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked"

2003-12-29 Thread Andrew Schulman
> Andrew Schulman wrote:
> > This morning I made the mistake of remotely killing an 'apt-get update' 
> > that had not finished running on another terminal.  Now, apt-get is 
> > totally broken.  Whenever I try to install anything, I get:
> > 
> > debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by 
> > another process
> > 
> > and everything fails.  Right now I have 11 uninstallable packages.
> > 
> > I have hunted down and killed every running process that matches apt*, 
> > dpkg*, or debconf*.  Still the accursed lock remains.  I can't find any 
> > obvious lock files in /var/lock or /var/cache/debconf.
> 
> The lock is a flock() lock which can only be held open if the process
> remains running, so you obviously missed killing something. Try lsof.

Okay, thanks for the tip.  I rebooted for other reasons, and the problem 
went away.  But next time I'll try lsof to hunt down the offender.

Thanks,
Andrew.


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Re: apt-get totally broken: "/var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked"

2003-12-29 Thread Joey Hess
Andrew Schulman wrote:
> This morning I made the mistake of remotely killing an 'apt-get update' 
> that had not finished running on another terminal.  Now, apt-get is 
> totally broken.  Whenever I try to install anything, I get:
> 
> debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by 
> another process
> 
> and everything fails.  Right now I have 11 uninstallable packages.
> 
> I have hunted down and killed every running process that matches apt*, 
> dpkg*, or debconf*.  Still the accursed lock remains.  I can't find any 
> obvious lock files in /var/lock or /var/cache/debconf.

The lock is a flock() lock which can only be held open if the process
remains running, so you obviously missed killing something. Try lsof.

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apt-get totally broken: "/var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked"

2003-12-29 Thread Andrew Schulman
This morning I made the mistake of remotely killing an 'apt-get update' 
that had not finished running on another terminal.  Now, apt-get is 
totally broken.  Whenever I try to install anything, I get:

debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by 
another process

and everything fails.  Right now I have 11 uninstallable packages.

I have hunted down and killed every running process that matches apt*, 
dpkg*, or debconf*.  Still the accursed lock remains.  I can't find any 
obvious lock files in /var/lock or /var/cache/debconf.

Judging by other traffic on this list this AM, I think my original 
hanging install was caused by the foomatic or openoffice.org updates.  
But I've now removed them, and the problem remains.

Can anyone help me to remove this damnable lock?
Thanks,
Andrew.


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