--Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

mauropt78 · 2016-08-29 16:40:49

Hi,

Since almost three weeks pacman doesn't update my system,
saying it's updated.
I suppose it happened since pacman 5.0.1 upgrade.

#pacman -Syyu doesn't solve the issue,
and I found that all the mirrors in /etc/pacman.d/mirrors are uncommented.

I found this post:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pa … l_database

Do you think this is the right thing?

I followed the steps, but I'm stuck here:

define bash alias for recovery purpose:

recovery-pacman() {
    sudo pacman "$@"  \
    --log /dev/null   \
    --noscriptlet     \
    --dbonly          \
    --force           \
    --nodeps          \
    --needed          \
}

How am I supposed to give to the console these commands?
If I copy-paste them, I get a strange prompt, and I don't know what to do:

[maurizio@localhost ~]$ recovery-pacman() {
>     sudo pacman "$@"  \
>     --log /dev/null   \
>     --noscriptlet     \
>     --dbonly          \
>     --force           \
>     --nodeps          \
>     --needed          \
> }
>

Thanks a lot!

Last edited by mauropt78 (2016-08-29 21:13:24)

mcmillan · 2016-08-29 16:58:07

Is there a reason you think there's a problem with your local database other than not updating?
Did you try changing the mirror you use (if you're just not getting updates, a more likely explanation is you're using an out of date mirror)

ewaller · 2016-08-29 17:00:13

mauropt78 wrote:

I found that all the mirrors in /etc/pacman.d/mirrors are uncommented.

Seems unreasonable. Any idea how that happened?

cjazz · 2016-08-29 17:48:11

mauropt78 wrote:

#pacman -Syyu doesn't solve the issue,
and I found that all the mirrors in /etc/pacman.d/mirrors are uncommented.

Was that a typo? Shouldn't the file name be /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist?

Trilby · 2016-08-29 17:59:15

mauropt78 wrote:

Since almost three weeks pacman doesn't update my system,
saying it's updated.
I suppose it happened since pacman 5.0.1 upgrade.

Wait, you only did the 5.0.1 update a few weeks ago? That should have been done *before* four months ago:
https://www.archlinux.org/news/required … 016-04-23/

When was the last successful update? You may need to do some bootstrap updates using the rollback archives.

R00KIE · 2016-08-29 18:13:41

That bash alias might not be 100% correct, that last '--needed \' might have an extra backward slash which might be causing trouble. Copy-pasting things you don't understand, even if from the wiki, is always a bad idea.

On another note, if for some reason you can't do regular updates you should consider if arch is the right distro for you. As you are experiencing first hand, doing only sporadic updates will get you into trouble.

mauropt78 · 2016-08-29 18:39:31

McMillan:
-No, there's not any other reason by which I can think that my database is not updated
- shall I uncomment all the mirrors but one?

Ewaller:
-No, no idea

Cjazz:
- Yes it was a typo, I meant to write: /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist, sorry....

Trillby and Rookie:
- I'm really sorry, but I ran Arch successfully since almost one year now,
but I changed job two months ago, and Im really busy now....
I will consider to change distro, but really I can't do anything now?

falconindy · 2016-08-29 18:58:02

mauropt78 wrote:

How am I supposed to give to the console these commands?
If I copy-paste them, I get a strange prompt, and I don't know what to do:
[maurizio@localhost ~]$ recovery-pacman() {
>     sudo pacman "$@"  \
>     --log /dev/null   \
>     --noscriptlet     \
>     --dbonly          \
>     --force           \
>     --nodeps          \
>     --needed          \
> }
> 
Thanks a lot!

Get rid of the last backslash (after --needed). You're escaping the closing bracket on the function.

Trilby · 2016-08-29 19:18:46

I'm not laying blame - nor was I the one to suggest another distro (though if this wasn't an isolated incident it's worth considering). I'm just trying to work the problem, and to do so, it would help to know when the last successful update was. This should be easily found towards the end of your pacman log.

R00KIE · 2016-08-29 20:53:26

I second what Trilby said, I was not trying to lay blame or tell you to change distro, but the truth is you will get into trouble if you don't update arch regularly.

Like Trilby already mentioned you maybe have to use the rollback archives and after you get things working make sure you are not using out of sync mirrors[1]. Also make sure to merge mirrorlist and/or configuration file updates as they come.

[1] https://www.archlinux.org/mirrors/status/

mauropt78 · 2016-08-29 20:57:31

There's something I discovered now:
the wiki says:

Signs that pacman needs a local database restoration:
pacman -Q gives absolutely no output

this is not my case, pacman -Q gives the package list.
So now I don't think this is my case anymore.

ewaller · 2016-08-29 20:57:56

I, however, remain concerned that all of the mirrors are uncommented. I would strongly suggest you narrow it down to three or four quality mirrors in your part of the globe.
And, I am concerned about how this important file came to be in its current state.

mauropt78 · 2016-08-29 20:58:35

and:

##
## Arch Linux repository mirrorlist
## Generated on 2015-06-18
##

mauropt78 · 2016-08-29 21:12:25

I solved.

I just uncommented all the mirrors from /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist but one,
and pacman is upgrading the system.

Thanks a lot for your help,
and I hope to be using Arch for some more time....

V1del · 2016-08-29 22:17:34

@ewaller current installation media will contain a reflectored mirrorlist by score, so it isn't that surprising.

ewaller · 2016-08-29 22:24:05

V1del wrote:

@ewaller current installation media will contain a reflectored mirrorlist by score, so it isn't that surprising.

Good to know. I have not used install media for a few years now
Thanks

Arch Linux

#1 2016-08-29 16:40:49

--Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#2 2016-08-29 16:58:07

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#3 2016-08-29 17:00:13

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#4 2016-08-29 17:48:11

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#5 2016-08-29 17:59:15

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#6 2016-08-29 18:13:41

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#7 2016-08-29 18:39:31

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#8 2016-08-29 18:58:02

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#9 2016-08-29 19:18:46

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#10 2016-08-29 20:53:26

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#11 2016-08-29 20:57:31

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#12 2016-08-29 20:57:56

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#13 2016-08-29 20:58:35

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#14 2016-08-29 21:12:25

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#15 2016-08-29 22:17:34

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

#16 2016-08-29 22:24:05

Re: --Solved-- Pacman mistakenly says system is updated

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