[Solved] error could not open file /var/lib/pacman/sync/core.db

johane · 2012-08-06 22:54:08

I am trying to install Arch but when I type "pacstrap /mnt base base-devel" I keep on getting this error "error could not open file /var/lib/pacman/sync/core.db unrecognized archive format".
I have tried:

# rm -R /var/lib/pacman/sync/
# pacman -Syuf

I have also tried pacman -Syy with no luck.

What more is there to do besides installing ubuntu?

Last edited by johane (2012-08-11 08:22:07)

2ManyDogs · 2012-08-06 23:12:05

johane wrote:

I am trying to install Arch but when I type "pacstrap /mnt base base-devel" I keep on getting this error "error could not open file /var/lib/pacman/sync/core.db unrecognized archive format".
I have tried:
# rm -R /var/lib/pacman/sync/

Pacstrap was telling you it couldn't open a file, so you just deleted the entire directory tree? Did it appear to be downloading the database files correctly before this? Did you try running pacstrap again after you deleted everything?

And then you tried to run pacman with the -f (force) option? What happened? "no luck" doesn't tell us anything.

What more is there to do besides installing ubuntu?

There are many things you can do. You can give us more information about what you did and what happened. Did you follow all the steps in the Beginners Guide up to the pacstrap step? Did you get any errors or warnings before that step? Are you sure you had a working network connection? Did you interrupt the pacstrap process at any time? Did you try running it again after you deleted /var/lib/pacman/sync?

Did you check the sha1sum of the iso you downloaded before you put it on a usb stick?
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Be … oaded_file

How did you put it on the usb stick?

When you got the error, did you do

ls /var/lib/pacman/sync

to see what (if anything) was there?

Last edited by 2ManyDogs (2012-08-06 23:38:27)

johane · 2012-08-07 16:05:29

Yes I deleted the directory because it was a thread here where someone had done so and managed to fix it.
I did "ls /var/lib/pacman/sync" before and there were the three .db-files community, core and extra.
After I deleted them they were of course gone but came back again after Pacman -Syy or -Syuf.

I have followed the guide and there are no errors or warnings.
md5sum and sha1sum says ok and the usb is verified ok.
I used dd to put it on the USB-stick.

Its is the same error no matter what I do.
"error could not open file /var/lib/pacman/sync/core.db unrecognized archive format"

Lennie · 2012-08-07 17:25:49

johane wrote:

# pacman -Syuf

Yet another one who wants to break their system...

_NEVER_ use --force (f) with pacman -Syu.

johane · 2012-08-07 17:32:08

You cant break something that isn't even installed.

neighborhoodhacker · 2012-08-07 18:31:55

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=135310 this post suggest you might have a messed up mirror list. Could you post the contents of you /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist? Oh and the area you are from wouldn't hurt seeing as it's applicable here.

Also I don't know the init process from a usb but I believe it may not be read only seeing as how it isn't a cd. So in theory you can break a system that isn't installed.

Last edited by neighborhoodhacker (2012-08-07 18:33:05)

johane · 2012-08-07 19:44:56

I used gparted live instead of mkfs and now it works. The only difference is that mkfs said that alignment of sda was 512 bytes out of offset.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-08-06 22:54:08

[Solved] error could not open file /var/lib/pacman/sync/core.db

#2 2012-08-06 23:12:05

Re: [Solved] error could not open file /var/lib/pacman/sync/core.db

#3 2012-08-07 16:05:29

Re: [Solved] error could not open file /var/lib/pacman/sync/core.db

#4 2012-08-07 17:25:49

Re: [Solved] error could not open file /var/lib/pacman/sync/core.db

#5 2012-08-07 17:32:08

Re: [Solved] error could not open file /var/lib/pacman/sync/core.db

#6 2012-08-07 18:31:55

Re: [Solved] error could not open file /var/lib/pacman/sync/core.db

#7 2012-08-07 19:44:56

Re: [Solved] error could not open file /var/lib/pacman/sync/core.db

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