pacman-key --init hangs

devnet · 2012-04-23 17:14:00

Hiya,

Before you refer me to the wiki article on this...rest assured I've read it and attempted to follow it. The main problem is this:

pacman-key --init

hangs. Plain and simple. This is after a full upgrade from a fresh install today (4/23/2012). There were plenty of problems doing an upgrade (most I've ever had since I started using Arch) but I was able to battle through the problems...but I can't enable package signing. Once initiating the command above, I get nothing...it just hangs.

Now people have posted in the forums to manually import keys and whatnot...but I don't know those posters from Adam. Am I supposed to just trust that the string of letters and numbers they put inside a forum post are golden? Aren't the keys documented somewhere official where I can see them and import them manually?

Anyone have insight as to why this process isn't straightforward? Granted, this is the only process in the many years I've used Arch that ISN'T straightforward so I guess 1 problem in that timeframe is decent Thanks for any help that can be provided.

Gcool · 2012-04-23 17:20:26

I'll have to refer you to the one more time I'm afraid.

For the "pacman-key --init" issue. Pacman is basically waiting to collect entropy. Have a look at this on how to generate some. As for a place to get the keys (you're absolutely right, can't place your full trust on just a forum post), have a look here.

devnet · 2012-04-23 17:34:30

I was able to import the keys from the location you linked and I'm fine now...but the problem with entropy as you've linked is one that not many new users will be able to get past.

I'm worried that most new users won't know what Entropy is, nor what it does...nor even if they need it. To be honest, I had to look it up...that wiki post you referred me to doesn't do much in telling a user about why they're doing those actions. I'll attempt to update it with background info so users will understand the why of Entropy when I get X installed.

Gcool · 2012-04-23 18:10:17

I agree that it can be a bit confusing for new users. I've seen some discussions about simplifying it (on both the forums and the mailing lists), but for the time being it is the way it is really.

gilmoreja · 2012-06-04 16:17:17

I don't mean to necro an old thread, but it would be helpful if "pacman-key --init" at least gave you a clue that you should be pressing buttons in order for this process to move forward.

I had the same issue as OP until I found this thread, because pressing keys while my computer is working goes against the grain in every way (The first computer my parents bought me was an 8086.. I quickly learned that patience is a virtue and that pounding the keyboard usually only ended up in a frozen system ).

Maybe pacman-key should be updated to clue a user in as to what they must do?

tomk · 2012-06-04 17:52:56

Feel free to submit a feature request. If you can code C, an appropriate patch would also be appreciated.

nwest · 2012-08-02 18:30:36

I just installed Archlinux on a BeagleBoardxM and was happy to finally get it working. Then I hit this problem and can't get around it.

From a clean install I run:
pacman -Syu
It tells me to run:
pacman-key --init
It says it is generating a key and never returns (by never I mean I went to lunch and came back and it is still hung)
I am communicating through ttyO2 and have tried hitting keys and such to generate "entropy"
I tried attaching a USB mouse and moving it around...

Nothing works.

If I abort with ^C and then try to run pacman again I get the error
pacman: error while loading shared libraries: ld-linux-armhf.so.3: cannot open y
and cannot recover without reloading archlinux from the installation tar

Is there any way around this? If so, step-by-step instructions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Nathan

tomk · 2012-08-02 21:28:52

Arch on ARM is not officially supported, so you should ask in the Archlinux ARM forum (or IRC/ML).

Leonid.I · 2012-08-02 23:31:21

Install haveged. I also suggest putting it in the DAEMONS array. This way you'll always have enough enrtropy and /dev/random will not block.

EDIT: Just to be clear, for a single use you can just call "haveged -w 1024 -v 1", generate the master key and then pkill haveged. However, after you reboot your entropy pool will be quite empty. Starting haveged at boot will allow to keep enough entropy over the entire system uptime. To see the current entropy level check /proc/sys/kernel/random/entropy_avail.

Last edited by Leonid.I (2012-08-02 23:37:05)

Arch Linux

#1 2012-04-23 17:14:00

pacman-key --init hangs

#2 2012-04-23 17:20:26

Re: pacman-key --init hangs

#3 2012-04-23 17:34:30

Re: pacman-key --init hangs

#4 2012-04-23 18:10:17

Re: pacman-key --init hangs

#5 2012-06-04 16:17:17

Re: pacman-key --init hangs

#6 2012-06-04 17:52:56

Re: pacman-key --init hangs

#7 2012-08-02 18:30:36

Re: pacman-key --init hangs

#8 2012-08-02 21:28:52

Re: pacman-key --init hangs

#9 2012-08-02 23:31:21

Re: pacman-key --init hangs

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