Arch Linux

basdi

Member

Registered: 2012-09-14

Posts: 22

System update failed -> strange behavior

Hello,

I have got the following problem: A system update (pacman -Syu) was interrupted because of power shortage. The system still boots but some things don't work anymore. For example the program wifi-menu returns the prompt inmediatly (without scanning, etc.). Then I tried to downgrade netctl  from the cache  with pacman -U  /var/cache/pacman/pkg/packagename but the the same thing happened, direct return of the prompt.

Any help would very appreciated. Thanks!

Bas

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: System update failed -> strange behavior

Are you trying to say that 'pacman -U  /var/cache/pacman/pkg/packagename' did nothing?
Use a liveCD / liveUSB and try to update your system. If you still can't get pacman to run after this, post the output of 'pacman -Syu --debug'.

basdi

Member

Registered: 2012-09-14

Posts: 22

Re: System update failed -> strange behavior

Hello,

Sorry for taking so long to respond. I was travelling.

I did the system update from a a liveUSB and it went fine. But the problem is still the same as before. So the reason has to be something else but I don't have no clue what.
Some programs, among the pacman, apparently do nothing. For example, when I do 'pacman -Syu' it returns directly to the prompt without any output. The same with 'pacman -Syu --debug'.

Thank you again for your help!

DarkCerberus

Banned

From: Holsworthy, Devon

Registered: 2011-12-31

Posts: 252

Re: System update failed -> strange behavior

HI Basdi,

An output of the error log would be helpful, and also if it's a cache problem try doing the following command "pacman -Sc" this will clear some files in your pacman cache section, once done that reboot if needed and then do "pacman -Syu" for system update. If it's a bug you found in pacman you may file a bug report at https://bugs.archlinux.org/  - and a developer will help out since most of them focus at https://bugs.archlinux.org/

---

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basdi

Member

Registered: 2012-09-14

Posts: 22

Re: System update failed -> strange behavior

Hello,

'pacman -Sc' doesn't do anything. It's the same: direct return to prompt. As is the same with 'wifi-menu', shutdown -h "now"...

As I said this happened after a system upgrade was interrupted because the electricity went down in my flat...

I discovered at least part of the issue has to do wiith sudo. As superuser (using 'su') the programs start. But some things are still strange:
- netctl doesn't work anymore, a package (wpa_actiond) that is necessary was missing. I reinstalled it but netctl still doesn't work
- I tried to reinstall sudo but i get a lot of "exists in file system errors". When I do a pacman -Qo of the files I get the error "No package owns.."

I am starting to think that reinstalling the system would make the least effort...

Last edited by basdi (2014-03-18 12:39:23)

basdi

Member

Registered: 2012-09-14

Posts: 22

Re: System update failed -> strange behavior

Hello again,

I forgot to ask which error log do you mean? Anyway, I didn't post more information because I didn't know which could be useful..

MicroCheapFx

Member

Registered: 2014-08-21

Posts: 2

Re: System update failed -> strange behavior

Hello !

Same problem happened to me just this morning.
After a terrible battle with my computer I managed to make pacman working again (with a live cd and few chroots). Then it was the network doing some troubles (dhcpcd was doing the same nothing-thing).

The problem is hard to define as the programs give NO output back (no error message at all). I wonder if other programs have been impacted as for example dhcpcd was not in my update and was in trouble.