[SOLVED] Installing packages form a live arch linux session, offline

kaligne · 2014-10-14 17:35:20

Hello

I would like to install packages on my lie arch linux session, offline. For that I tried :

$ tar -zcvf broadcom-wl.tar.gz
$ cd broadcom-wl
$ makepkg --asroot 
warning: database file for 'core' does not exist
warning: database file for 'extra' does not exist
warning: database file for 'community' does not exist
==> ERROR: Cannot find the strip binary required for object file stripping.

I tried other solutions found in those threads :
http://wiki.archbang.org/index.php?titl … _a_Tarball
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/PKGBUILD

Especially the following commands :

$ makepkg --asroot -i
warning: database file for 'core' does not exist
warning: database file for 'extra' does not exist
warning: database file for 'community' does not exist
==> ERROR: Cannot find the strip binary required for object file stripping.

I tried using pacman :

$ pacman -U broadcom-wl.tar.gz
warning: database file for 'core' does not exist
warning: database file for 'extra' does not exist
warning: database file for 'community' does not exist
error: missing package metadata in broadcom-wl.tar.gz
error: 'broadcom-wl.tar.gz': invalid or corrupted package
loading packages...

Using pacstrap to recreate the required databases will fail as it requires an internet connexion :

$ pacstrap -i /mnt base base-devel
==> Creating install root at /mnt
==> Installing packages to /mnt
:: Synchronizing package databases...
error: failed retrieving file 'core.db' from mirror.gnomus.de : Could not resolve host: mirror.gnomus.de
error: failed retrieving file 'core.db' from [url=ftp://ftp.tku.edu.tw]ftp.tku.edu.tw[/url] : Could not resolve host: [url=ftp://ftp.tku.edu.tw]ftp.tku.edu.tw[/url]
[...]
error: failed to update community (download library error)
error: failed to synchronize any databases
error: failed to init transaction (download library error)
error: failed to synchronize any databases
error: failed to init transaction (download library error)
==> ERROR: Failed to install packages to new root

However the file system structure seems to be here, so I tried changing the root directory to install the package :

$ arch-chroot /mnt
mount: mount point /mnt/etc/resolv.conf does not exist
mount: mount point /mnt/etc/resolv.conf does not exist
chroot: failed to run command ‘/bin/sh’chroot: failed to run command ‘/bin/sh’: No such file or directory
: No such file or directory

I can't change the root directory, probably because the pacstrap was incomplete right?

Is there a way around to install packages, possibly before using pacstrap?

Thank you

Last edited by kaligne (2014-10-17 09:17:46)

Trilby · 2014-10-14 17:41:19

In your previous thread you indicated you do have access to an ethernet connection. Why not use that for the installation, then once you have your system up and running, download and install the wl driver via ethernet to get wireless working?

kaligne · 2014-10-14 18:46:27

I realize my answer may seem extreme to you, but what if one day I need to install my system from scratch and I am stuck without any ethernet cable ? I like to keep some useful ways to solve this kind of issues as well as packages backed up on an external drive.
Does is seem impossible to you?

Trilby · 2014-10-14 19:03:46

On most hardware, this would be very easy. The installation isos include drivers for a wide range of wireless cards - so as long as one remembers to install wireless-tools and/or things like wpa_supplicant when installing the base system, then it is quite easy to do the full install without ever needed an ethernet connection.

However, if your hardware requires drivers that are not included in the iso or only available in the AUR, then this does border on impossible: not really impossible, but exceedingly impractical so the best advice would always be to find at least temporary access to an ethernet connection. There really isn't anywhere where one could have wifi without being able to get temporary ethernet (cell phone providers may change this eventually).

Further, what hardware is or is not covered by the drivers on the installation isos changes regularly. So any methods you develop now may not even apply a year from now. In your case, if I remember correctly, the hardware you are on will be covered by the b43 driver as soon as linux 3.17 comes out - which should be very soon. So you will go through a heck of a lot of hassle now, to prepare yourself for a situation you will never again face.

I'm all for learning just for the sake of learning - but if ethernet is available even temporarily, chosing not to use it seems to make this needlessly hard for no purpose.

kaligne · 2014-10-14 19:44:40

I have been thinking for a while and I think what you say is true. I am actually making everything more complicated than it should. Also, as a beginner, this kind of problem prevents me from learning more on Arch. Though I learned some stuff regarding networking, going the ethernet way seems more reasonable.
Should this thread be marked as solved?

teateawhy · 2014-10-15 09:40:06

Rebuild the archiso and include the package you need. See: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Archiso
This gives you an arch linux live session where you can use your wireless card. Don't forget to write it to a usb stick and update it from time to time.

Arch Linux

#1 2014-10-14 17:35:20

[SOLVED] Installing packages form a live arch linux session, offline

#2 2014-10-14 17:41:19

Re: [SOLVED] Installing packages form a live arch linux session, offline

#3 2014-10-14 18:46:27

Re: [SOLVED] Installing packages form a live arch linux session, offline

#4 2014-10-14 19:03:46

Re: [SOLVED] Installing packages form a live arch linux session, offline

#5 2014-10-14 19:44:40

Re: [SOLVED] Installing packages form a live arch linux session, offline

#6 2014-10-15 09:40:06

Re: [SOLVED] Installing packages form a live arch linux session, offline

Board footer