[SOLVED] Pacman "config file could not be read" error during Arch ins

Windfinder · 2008-09-28 14:14:02

I've been attempting to get Arch setup for a while now, and after having some trouble with partitions, my wireless connecting, and setting up repos and mirrors, which the Wiki helped me solve, I've hit a bigger bump. While updating the system using pacman as the Beginners Guide says to do, I get errors when I try to continue the update process as follows :

btw: I'm typing this on a laptop next to my computer

[root@McArch~]# pacman -Syu
error: config file /etc/pacman.d/core could not be read
error: config file /etc/pacman.d/extra could not be read
error: config file /etc/pacman.d/community could not be read
:: Synchronizing package databases . . .
error: failed to updated core (unexpected error)
error: failed to updated extra (unexpected error)
error: failed to updated community (unexpected error)
error: failed to synchronize any databases

Any tips as to whats going on? I've tried to created said files, and even insert mirrors into the file, like in the /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist file but this doesn't seem to help

Last edited by Windfinder (2008-09-29 20:43:29)

bgc1954 · 2008-09-28 14:42:53

It looks like you installed using an older iso and your pacman is not up to date. It is still trying to use the core, extra and community repos that are not used anymore and so making a /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist will not help unless you update pacman. I would assume that you cannot do that now as pacman is trying to access the old repos. If you don't want to do another full install, I believe you will have to download the new pacman package--maybe on your other computer--and transfer it to your Arch install and install it from the downloaded directory with

#pacman -U pacman-3.2.1-1...etc.

The only problem with that is that it will probable require other updated packages and you could be in for a bit of a pita. I remember doing it once upon a time and I had to download another two or three packages. It might be easier to reinstall. Sorry

Last edited by bgc1954 (2008-09-28 14:44:57)

Windfinder · 2008-09-28 14:47:29

Humm. . . Well, as far as transfering goes, I think thats out of the picture for me. I cant do much with the CLI unless I'm reading what commands to put in Kinda why I wanted to install Arch.

So, what I need to do is make a new disc with a more up-to-date iso? I was pretty sure I downloaded the most recent one. . .

Is there anyway I could create the missing files to get pacman running?

EDIT: I just created the missing files with a link to the mirrors list within Now its working!

Last edited by Windfinder (2008-09-28 15:03:03)

bgc1954 · 2008-09-28 14:59:00

Sounds like a project.
If someone responds before I try this, it is still an interesting project. I've got an old computer, spare hard drive, and old arch iso in the basement and I'll see what happens when I do an install. Shouldn't take too long. Hmmmmm.....I wonder.

Edit: And BTW, the latest iso is 2008.06, AFAIK.

Last edited by bgc1954 (2008-09-28 15:00:59)

Windfinder · 2008-09-28 15:04:01

I got it fixed!!!! All I did was created the files it needed in nano by putting Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist in said file and now it works

Last edited by Windfinder (2008-09-28 15:06:25)

ghostHack · 2008-09-28 15:06:37

If your network connection on the arch machine is working you could manually download the latest pacman by doing the following (as root):

wget ftp://ftp.archlinux.org/core/os/i686/libarchive-2.5.5-1-i686.pkg.tar.gz
wget ftp://ftp.archlinux.org/core/os/i686/libdownload-1.3-1-i686.pkg.tar.gz
wget ftp://ftp.archlinux.org/core/os/i686/pacman-3.2.1-1-i686.pkg.tar.gz

The first two are libraries required by pacman, also I'm assuming you installed the 32bit version, if you installed the 64bit arch then change the i686 above for x86_64.
Next, install the packages

pacman -U libarchive-2.5.5-1-i686.pkg.tar.gz
pacman -U libdownload-1.3-1-i686.pkg.tar.gz
pacman -U pacman-3.2.1-1-i686.pkg.tar.gz

If everything worked sucessfully you should have a /etc/pacman.conf.pacnew file, move this to /etc/pacman.conf

mv /etc/pacman.conf.pacnew /etc/pacman.conf

then look at /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist and make sure at least one of the Server = ... lines is uncommented.

At this point you should have a working, up-to-date pacman and can update the rest of your system (pacman -Syu).

Windfinder · 2008-09-28 15:08:58

Yea, I got the updated pacman, It just didn't work, but I fixed it, and now it works

Thank you very much for the help though!

Misfit138 · 2008-09-28 15:38:12

Please mark thread as [SOLVED]
Glad you got it working.

bgc1954 · 2008-09-28 15:47:28

Glad you got it working.

I'm not sure what happened in your install but I just finished using an old 2007.08 iso and pacman first starts out with /etc/pacman.d/core, etc/pacman.d/extra, /etc/pacman.d/community ... etc., but I never had your problem when I did the #pacman -Syu after initial install reboot. The pacman update removes the above mentioned repos and replaces them with a single /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist. You must have messed up an initial config file somehow as I couldn't get the same errors you got. It looks like you had your /etc/pacman.conf file messed up somehow and when you pointed it to the mirrorlist it could finally work properly. I'll just include my /etc/pacman.conf file and /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist so you can compare. NB* these are from my x86_64 so for 32 bit machines i686 would replace x86_64 in the files.

#
# /etc/pacman.conf
#
# See the pacman.conf(5) manpage for option and repository directives

#
# GENERAL OPTIONS
#
[options]
# The following paths are commented out with their default values listed.
# If you wish to use different paths, uncomment and update the paths.
#RootDir     = /
#DBPath      = /var/lib/pacman/
#CacheDir    = /var/cache/pacman/pkg/
#LogFile     = /var/log/pacman.log
HoldPkg     = pacman glibc
# If upgrades are available for these packages they will be asked for first
SyncFirst   = pacman
#XferCommand = /usr/bin/wget --passive-ftp -c -O %o %u
#XferCommand = /usr/bin/curl %u > %o

# Pacman won't upgrade packages listed in IgnorePkg and members of IgnoreGroup
#IgnorePkg   =
#IgnoreGroup =

#NoUpgrade   =
#NoExtract   =

# Misc options (all disabled by default)
#NoPassiveFtp
#UseSyslog
#ShowSize
#UseDelta
#TotalDownload

#
# REPOSITORIES
#   - can be defined here or included from another file
#   - pacman will search repositories in the order defined here
#   - local/custom mirrors can be added here or in separate files
#   - repositories listed first will take precedence when packages
#     have identical names, regardless of version number
#   - URLs will have $repo replaced by the name of the current repo
#
# Repository entries are of the format:
#       [repo-name]
#       Server = ServerName
#       Include = IncludePath
#
# The header [repo-name] is crucial - it must be present and
# uncommented to enable the repo.
#

# Testing is disabled by default.  To enable, uncomment the following
# two lines.  You can add preferred servers immediately after the header,
# and they will be used before the default mirrors.
#[testing]
#Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

[core]
# Add your preferred servers here, they will be used first
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

[extra]
# Add your preferred servers here, they will be used first
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

[community]
# Add your preferred servers here, they will be used first
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

# An example of a custom package repository.  See the pacman manpage for
# tips on creating your own repositories.
#[custom]
#Server = file:///home/custompkgs

/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

#
# Arch Linux repository mirrorlist
#

# North America
# - United States
Server = http://mirror.neotuli.net/arch/$repo/os/x86_64
Server = http://holmes.umflint.edu/archlinux/$repo/os/x86_64
Server = http://archlinux.unixheads.org/$repo/os/x86_64
Server = ftp://ftp.archlinux.org/$repo/os/x86_64
Server = ftp://locke.suu.edu/linux/dist/archlinux/$repo/os/x86_64
Server = ftp://ftp.gtlib.gatech.edu/pub/linux/distributions/archlinux/$repo/os/x86_64
Server = ftp://mirror.cs.vt.edu/pub/ArchLinux/$repo/os/x86_64
Server = http://mirrors.easynews.com/linux/archlinux/$repo/os/x86_64
Server = ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/archlinux/$repo/os/x86_64
Server = http://mirror.rit.edu/archlinux/$repo/os/x86_64
Server = http://mirror.umoss.org/archlinux/$repo/os/x86_64
# - Canada
Server = ftp://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/archlinux/$repo/os/@carch

Well it was an interesting way to kill 30+ minutes.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-09-28 14:14:02

[SOLVED] Pacman "config file could not be read" error during Arch ins

#2 2008-09-28 14:42:53

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman "config file could not be read" error during Arch ins

#3 2008-09-28 14:47:29

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman "config file could not be read" error during Arch ins

#4 2008-09-28 14:59:00

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman "config file could not be read" error during Arch ins

#5 2008-09-28 15:04:01

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman "config file could not be read" error during Arch ins

#6 2008-09-28 15:06:37

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman "config file could not be read" error during Arch ins

#7 2008-09-28 15:08:58

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman "config file could not be read" error during Arch ins

#8 2008-09-28 15:38:12

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman "config file could not be read" error during Arch ins

#9 2008-09-28 15:47:28

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman "config file could not be read" error during Arch ins

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