Arch Linux

thea

Member

Registered: 2006-12-22

Posts: 86

[SOLVED] can't update system

I am having a few strange problems which are affecting system performance on my main computer (call it computer 1). I suspect they are interrelated in a way unclear to me. Let's start with Pacman:

1. On pacman -Syu I get the message that "there is nothing to do". Meanwhile, on my two other computers (laptop, call it computer 2; server, call it computer 3) both running the same Archlinux setup, there are packages to update, including, for example, Apache, now 2.4.7-2. Computer 1 has apache-2.4.7-1, and when I do pacman -Ss, I see that this is indeed the latest version, while the same command on computers 2 and 3 indicates that apache 2.4.7-2 is the latest. I thought perhaps this might be a clock problem, but the BIOS clock is correct, and the date command also gives the correct time.

2. On boot-up, I get two error messages (which I cannot find in a log file, presumably systemd):
    - failed to start Create Volatile Files and Directories
    - another "failed" message related to Avahi (goes by too quickly, also can't find it in a log file)

3. On installing the latest(?) nvidia packages, nvidia-libgl requires removal of 3 ligGL-related so files, which when removed disables GUI functionaliy in my window manager (WindowMaker). I can fix this by retrograding to the previous nvidia-libgl package. But am suspecting this is influenced by the inability of my pacman on computer 1 to actually update my system.

4. Apache doesn't work, systemd gives it as "dead". suspect this is related to the above problems.

I know this is a lot and vague to boot, but any assistance will be appreciated.

Last edited by thea (2014-03-11 15:49:06)

drcouzelis

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From: Connecticut, USA

Registered: 2009-11-09

Posts: 4,092

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Re: [SOLVED] can't update system

1. On pacman -Syu I get the message that "there is nothing to do". Meanwhile, on my two other computers (laptop, call it computer 2; server, call it computer 3) both running the same Archlinux setup, there are packages to update, including, for example, Apache, now 2.4.7-2. Computer 1 has apache-2.4.7-1, and when I do pacman -Ss, I see that this is indeed the latest version, while the same command on computers 2 and 3 indicates that apache 2.4.7-2 is the latest. I thought perhaps this might be a clock problem, but the BIOS clock is correct, and the date command also gives the correct time.

Are all three computers using the same pacman servers? Please verify this by checking the mirrorlist files.

2. On boot-up, I get two error messages (which I cannot find in a log file, presumably systemd):
    - failed to start Create Volatile Files and Directories
    - another "failed" message related to Avahi (goes by too quickly, also can't find it in a log file)

Did you actually install and plan to use Avahi? What is the bug? Is the only "bug" that there is some kind of message at boot time?

3. On installing the latest(?) nvidia packages, nvidia-libgl requires removal of 3 ligGL-related so files, which when removed disables GUI functionaliy in my window manager (WindowMaker). I can fix this by retrograding to the previous nvidia-libgl package. But am suspecting this is influenced by the inability of my pacman on computer 1 to actually update my system.

Which version of the Nvidia package? Which files were removed? What is "GUI functionality"?

(Yay for Window Maker users! )

4. Apache doesn't work, systemd gives it as "dead". suspect this is related to the above problems.

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=178124

thea

Member

Registered: 2006-12-22

Posts: 86

Re: [SOLVED] can't update system

1. All three computers are using the same pacman servers.
2. Avahi has been explicitly installed, and is currently required by: gnome-vfs  gvfs  libcups  sane
3. nvidia 334.21-2, which seems to run ok on nvidia-libgl 334.21-1. The pacman log file does not show the messages regarding the offending files. But I believe they are in /usr/lib, probably libEGL.so.1, libGLESv1_CM.so.1, and libGLESv2.so.2. "GUI functionality" means that when I try to start a program/application in WindowMaker, nothing happens. Hotkeys do not work either (GMRun). I can't see any error message in the terminal because it doesn't work, either.

drcouzelis

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From: Connecticut, USA

Registered: 2009-11-09

Posts: 4,092

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Re: [SOLVED] can't update system

1. All three computers are using the same pacman servers.

Try running "pacman -Syyu" to force a refresh of all package lists.

3. nvidia 334.21-2, which seems to run ok on nvidia-libgl 334.21-1. The pacman log file does not show the messages regarding the offending files. But I believe they are in /usr/lib, probably libEGL.so.1, libGLESv1_CM.so.1, and libGLESv2.so.2. "GUI functionality" means that when I try to start a program/application in WindowMaker, nothing happens. Hotkeys do not work either (GMRun). I can't see any error message in the terminal because it doesn't work, either.

Nvidia, eh? Which applications won't start? You wouldn't happen to be trying to run any KDE applications, would you?

Try installing and loading an xterm window from your ".xinitrc" file (put "xterm &" somewhere near the top) and see if you can get a terminal window for some more debugging.

thea

Member

Registered: 2006-12-22

Posts: 86

Re: [SOLVED] can't update system

About the files that the nvidia update wants removed: the message is:

error: failed to commit transaction (conflicting files)
nvidia-libgl: /usr/lib/libEGL.so.1 exists in filesystem
nvidia-libgl: /usr/lib/libGLESv1_CM.so.1 exists in filesystem
nvidia-libgl: /usr/lib/libGLESv2.so.2 exists in filesystem

drcouzelis

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From: Connecticut, USA

Registered: 2009-11-09

Posts: 4,092

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Re: [SOLVED] can't update system

Did you see my post #4 above?

About the files that the nvidia update wants removed: the message is:

error: failed to commit transaction (conflicting files)
nvidia-libgl: /usr/lib/libEGL.so.1 exists in filesystem
nvidia-libgl: /usr/lib/libGLESv1_CM.so.1 exists in filesystem
nvidia-libgl: /usr/lib/libGLESv2.so.2 exists in filesystem

That looks fine to me. For future reference, whenever I get those messages I use pacman to tell me if another package already owns those files. If not, I just move them to a temporary directory for a few days while I confirm that my computer won't burst into flames without them.

thea

Member

Registered: 2006-12-22

Posts: 86

Re: [SOLVED] can't update system

1. ok, I ran pacman -Syyu and got the same message about the nvidia-libgl package that needs updating. Nothing about apache, or tzdata, for example, which are both out of date according to pacman on my other two computers.

2. I replaced "exec wmaker" with "exec xterm" ("exec xterm &" doesn't work), and got the following message when I tried to launch Firefox:

XPCOMGlueLoad error for file /usr/lib/firefox/libxul.so:
libnvidia-glsi.so.334.21: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
Couldn't load XPCOM.

I could open xfw and copy this message to a new file, but I couldn't name the file (in xfw) as there was no cursor or mouse functionality in the file name box.

3. Am doing a lot of reboots now , so can report that once systemd kicks in, I no longer get the terse messaging as was usual, and is still the case with the two other computers, but an old-style verbose list of system startups. There are three failures: Create Volatile Files and Directories, Avahi-related, and Apache.

thea

Member

Registered: 2006-12-22

Posts: 86

Re: [SOLVED] can't update system

OK, I just changed mirrors, and got a nice listing of quite a few files to be updated, including nvidia and linux (also apache and tzdata). So I did the update and the most serious problems, namely:

1. pacman won't update
and
2. nvidia update deprives system of critical graphical functionality

are gone. So I am marking this solved.

BTW the mirror problem was caused by blindly accepting the latest mirrorlist.pacnew file. For Canada, there are now 6 mirrors, with the 4 previous ones at the bottom of the list. Obviously one or both of the two top mirrors is not working properly (although I had all 6 uncommented).

Am still wondering why I now get verbose systemd messaging on bootup, but the system appears to work ok and I can sort this out at my leisure.

Many thanks to you for your tips, drcouzelis!

drcouzelis

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From: Connecticut, USA

Registered: 2009-11-09

Posts: 4,092

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Re: [SOLVED] can't update system

You're welcome.

Are all three computers using the same pacman servers? Please verify this by checking the mirrorlist files.

All three computers are using the same pacman servers.

BTW the mirror problem was caused by blindly accepting the latest mirrorlist.pacnew file.

...does that mean you didn't verify the mirrorlist files like I said to do?

thea

Member

Registered: 2006-12-22

Posts: 86

Re: [SOLVED] can't update system

well it depends what you mean by "verify". I admit, I am a lazy "*.pacnew" fixer-uper (lots of higher priorities). Basically the mirrorlist.pacnew files on the two other computers haven't been converted to simple mirrorlist files, so the "old" ones (each with 4 mirrors for Canada, which apparently work just fine) are still active. These four mirrors have been retained in the new (mirrorlist.pacnew) file, with two additional ones (at the top of the list for Canada) added. So in that way I verified that the working mirrors for computers 2 and 3 were there on computer 1. Have to admit also am somewhat hazy on the details of how the mirrorlist works, but am assuming it runs from top to bottom, as in an ordinary parser. Am guessing also that it just takes the first mirror it finds uncommented, and goes with it, willy-nilly. So what I did not verify was that this first mirror was functioning properly (how to do that?).

Thanks again, it's really nice to have someone respond!

drcouzelis

Member

From: Connecticut, USA

Registered: 2009-11-09

Posts: 4,092

Website

Re: [SOLVED] can't update system

The best system administrators are lazy.

So what I did not verify was that this first mirror was functioning properly (how to do that?).

You can see the mirror status here: https://www.archlinux.org/mirrors/status/

thea

Member

Registered: 2006-12-22

Posts: 86

Re: [SOLVED] can't update system

thanks again!

I had seen this list, which is in fact what I used to get the mirror that finally gave me the results I was expecting. But your reply is a reminder that it is (once again) up to me to make sure that what comes through on pacman works as it should -- in this, that any new mirrors added (which I did, effectively) be first checked against this list. Will make a note of it for future reference.

ukhippo

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From: Non-paged pool

Registered: 2014-02-21

Posts: 366

Re: [SOLVED] can't update system

Install the reflector package - it reads the mirror status page to help it generate the best mirrors for you.

So you could use something like:

reflector -c Canada -a 1 -f 3 --sort rate | sudo tee /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist && sudo pacman -Syyu

to generate a new mirrorlist and upgrade your system.
Reflector does have a --save=file option, but I prefer to use tee so that I can see the generated mirror list. You can also specify more countries, if you want to have a wider pool of mirrors to check from (sometimes mirrors in a neighbouring country can be faster). Just specify more '-c Country' options, e.g.:
... -c "United States" -c Canada ...