[solved] Failed to start reboot.target: Transaction is destructive.

orschiro · 2014-06-09 08:12:32

Hi there,

I merged the recent passwd.pacnew and group.pacnew files into my existing ones. But I have the feeling that something went wrong because I cannot longer shutdown or reboot my system:

# systemctl reboot
Failed to start reboot.target: Transaction is destructive.

~ cat /etc/passwd
root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
bin:x:1:1:bin:/bin:/usr/bin/nologin
daemon:x:2:2:daemon:/sbin:/usr/bin/nologin
mail:x:8:12:mail:/var/spool/mail:/usr/bin/nologin
ftp:x:14:11:ftp:/srv/ftp:/usr/bin/nologin
http:x:33:33:http:/srv/http:/usr/bin/nologin
uuidd:x:68:68:uuidd:/:/sbin/nologin
dbus:x:81:81:dbus:/:/sbin/nologin
nobody:x:99:99:nobody:/:/usr/bin/nologin
systemd-journal-gateway:x:191:191:systemd-journal-gateway:/:/usr/bin/nologin
systemd-timesync:x:192:192:systemd-timesync:/:/usr/bin/nologin
systemd-network:x:193:193:systemd-network:/:/usr/bin/nologin
polkitd:x:102:102:Policy Kit Daemon:/:/bin/false
avahi:x:84:84:avahi:/:/bin/false
orschiro:x:1000:100:Robert Orzanna:/home/orschiro:/usr/bin/zsh
git:x:999:997:git daemon user:/:/bin/bash
rtkit:x:133:133:RealtimeKit:/proc:/sbin/nologin
colord:x:124:124::/var/lib/colord:/bin/false%

~ cat /etc/group
root:x:0:root
bin:x:1:root,bin,daemon
daemon:x:2:root,bin,daemon
sys:x:3:root,bin
adm:x:4:root,daemon,orschiro
tty:x:5:
disk:x:6:root
lp:x:7:daemon
mem:x:8:
kmem:x:9:
wheel:x:10:root,orschiro
ftp:x:11:
mail:x:12:
uucp:x:14:
log:x:19:root
utmp:x:20:
locate:x:21:
rfkill:x:24:
smmsp:x:25:
http:x:33:
games:x:50:
lock:x:54:
uuidd:x:68:
dbus:x:81:
network:x:90:orschiro
video:x:91:orschiro
audio:x:92:orschiro
optical:x:93:
floppy:x:94:
storage:x:95:orschiro
scanner:x:96:
power:x:98:
nobody:x:99:
users:x:100:
systemd-journal:x:190:
systemd-journal-gateway:x:191:
systemd-timesync:x:192:
systemd-network:x:193:
vboxusers:x:108:orschiro
git:x:997:
polkitd:x:102:
rtkit:x:133:
avahi:x:84:
colord:x:124:

I merged the files by adding all my custom entries from the old files to the .pacnew files and then I overwrote the existing ones with the .pacnew files.

Do you see an error in these files?

Last edited by orschiro (2014-06-10 17:00:40)

rebootl · 2014-06-09 10:05:42

You should still have a copy of the previous files something like "passwd-" "group-" (not exactly sure how this is done internally...).
In case you still have the old files, did some user/group number changed. I never change these cause I think it may cause problems, anyways it's still strange...

ukhippo · 2014-06-09 10:08:56

Don't know if this is causing your problem, but your passwd entry for “colord” (very last entry) has a “%” at the end. Thats the only obvious thing to me. You could also try running a pwck and grpck.

orschiro · 2014-06-09 10:50:47

Thanks guys!

* I removed the % at the end of passwd. No change
* I restored my old files. No change

Interestingly it is only the reboot.target and shutdown.target that do not work

suspend and hibernate still work flawlessly.

orschiro · 2014-06-10 17:00:23

I will mark this as solved.

I think this issue was not even related to the latest changes to /etc/passwd and /etc/group but a systemd update.

I don't know how it caused the error to emerge but I did a cold reboot and now I am again able to poweroff and reboot.

Arch Linux

#1 2014-06-09 08:12:32

[solved] Failed to start reboot.target: Transaction is destructive.

#2 2014-06-09 10:05:42

Re: [solved] Failed to start reboot.target: Transaction is destructive.

#3 2014-06-09 10:08:56

Re: [solved] Failed to start reboot.target: Transaction is destructive.

#4 2014-06-09 10:50:47

Re: [solved] Failed to start reboot.target: Transaction is destructive.

#5 2014-06-10 17:00:23

Re: [solved] Failed to start reboot.target: Transaction is destructive.

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