Arch Linux

Swarfega

Member

Registered: 2011-08-19

Posts: 104

[SOLVED] pacman -Syu - Installation just died

I just ran my weekly pacman -Syu on my install.  I can't remember what updates were available but one was Linux firmware.  I did the command from SSH when putty lost connection.  I logged into my ESXi VM console to find it with lots of information that I really have no idea on.  Neither the normal boot or the Fallback work.  I really should have snap shotted the VM prior to the upgrade
Any work around?

http://www.xv5.co.uk/arch.jpg

Moderator edit: The included image is too big. Reduced to its url. -- bernarcher

Last edited by Swarfega (2012-05-08 11:40:36)

Gcool

Member

Registered: 2011-08-16

Posts: 1,456

Re: [SOLVED] pacman -Syu - Installation just died

Possibly related to this bug. Were you upgrading from kernel 3.3.4-1?

If so, your best option is to boot the system from a rescue medium if that's possible, chroot in and "pacman -Syu" again from within the chroot.

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Burninate!

Swarfega

Member

Registered: 2011-08-19

Posts: 104

Re: [SOLVED] pacman -Syu - Installation just died

I couldn't say for sure to be honest.  If it helps my last upgrade was about a week ago.

*Edit*

I booted from the core cd.  Managed to get into sda3 of my local disk.  Any guides on how I chroot onto this drive and resolve the issue?

Last edited by Swarfega (2012-05-08 10:37:24)

Gcool

Member

Registered: 2011-08-16

Posts: 1,456

Re: [SOLVED] pacman -Syu - Installation just died

It's explained pretty decently on the Chroot wiki article.

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Burninate!

Swarfega

Member

Registered: 2011-08-19

Posts: 104

Re: [SOLVED] pacman -Syu - Installation just died

Thank you.  I googled rather than even trying the great wiki here for some reason.  I blame the panic I am in I guess.

That bug makes scene though.  It's been working fine and my box really has no load what so ever on it.  It sits pretty idle.  The only time it has load is during an upgrade, it looks like maybe then my box hit that bug just at the time when an important update was installing

*Edit*

Guide works well.  I got in and ran a pacman -Suu, it install a bunch of packages and rebooted.  Still getting the same issue though.  Going into chroot now and doing -Syu or -Suu I just get "there is nothing to do".

*Edit*

Working now.  I mounted my boot/ and then chrooted.  Ran the 3.3.4-2 package and rebooted.  Works!  Thanks a lot for the help.  Another example how wonderful the wiki is here.

Last edited by Swarfega (2012-05-08 11:44:43)

frette

Member

Registered: 2012-05-04

Posts: 35

Re: [SOLVED] pacman -Syu - Installation just died

I did the command from SSH when putty lost connection.

for future reference, you might want to look into the program "screen"

Swarfega

Member

Registered: 2011-08-19

Posts: 104

Re: [SOLVED] pacman -Syu - Installation just died

I know of screen, not sure how this would help at all in this instance though?

Gcool

Member

Registered: 2011-08-16

Posts: 1,456

Re: [SOLVED] pacman -Syu - Installation just died

Good to hear you managed to solve it.

I know of screen, not sure how this would help at all in this instance though?

That wouldn't have helped in this case indeed. If your box experiences a kernel panic, then your screened ssh session won't be available anymore.

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Burninate!

Pres

Member

Registered: 2011-09-12

Posts: 423

Re: [SOLVED] pacman -Syu - Installation just died

Just as an aside: I always keep a copy of linux-lts on my machine in case of scenarios such as this one. Just include an entry for it in grub. That way if you ever run into a bug with the mainline kernel you know you will have another one to fall back on.

mukl

Member

From: Vienna, Austria

Registered: 2008-01-30

Posts: 52

Re: [SOLVED] pacman -Syu - Installation just died

@Pres great idea! thx.

Swarfega

Member

Registered: 2011-08-19

Posts: 104

Re: [SOLVED] pacman -Syu - Installation just died

I'll take precautions next time by creating a snapshot prior to upgrades

frette

Member

Registered: 2012-05-04

Posts: 35

Re: [SOLVED] pacman -Syu - Installation just died

That wouldn't have helped in this case indeed. If your box experiences a kernel panic, then your screened ssh session won't be available anymore.

first of all, you wouldn't start the ssh session in screen ofc, that makes no sense whatsoever. You start screen in your ssh session on the server, and by doing this, the following:

I did the command from SSH when putty lost connection.

won't be a problem anymore, since nothing depends on the ssh connection anymore.
You just reconnect, screen -r and go on.

Second: as you see in the second quote, he didn't say anything about a kernel panic, just a lost ssh connection and the problems it caused. If you use screen on the server, literally nothing happens if you lose your ssh connection, you can even scroll back in screen to see what happened while you disconnected.

Last edited by frette (2012-05-09 12:47:53)