Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

ericramirez · 2021-01-03 19:19:17

I was trying to delete the db.lck file but I deleted the entire directory by accident.

Total newbie here, what should I do? Help!!

V1del · 2021-01-03 19:28:10

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pa … l_database

What did you try to remove the lock file for in the first place? It's there for a reason and I can't imagine many legitimate scenarios for why you'd want to try to do that in the first place.

ericramirez · 2021-01-03 19:33:13

Because I couldn't updated it. Read this a while ago: https://ostechnix.com/how-to-fix-unable … rch-linux/

How can I install pacutils without pacman?

V1del · 2021-01-03 19:41:03

If you really just deleted that directory you only deleted the database, nothing should stop you from installing packages. If something stops you, post the error messages

ericramirez · 2021-01-03 19:43:03

The error says: could not find or read directory: /var/lib/pacman

ericramirez · 2021-01-03 19:43:57

I deleted the entire directory, not just "local"

V1del · 2021-01-03 19:48:58

Well, create the directory?

Once the directory is there again, an -Sy will refresh the db and allow you to install pacutils.

Last edited by V1del (2021-01-03 19:49:48)

ericramirez · 2021-01-03 19:55:28

Oh thanks! But now I have to do the instructions from the link you shared, but I can't install pacutils either it says "exists in the filesystem" for every package it tries to update/download and then the message: Errors occurred, no packages were upgraded.

ericramirez · 2021-01-03 19:58:56

Maybe It was because I did the following?

Downloaded pacman at https://sources.archlinux.org/other/pacman/.

$ ./configure
$ make
# make install

loqs · 2021-01-03 20:00:15

If pacutils is already installed you do not need to reinstall it to fix the issue.

Why did you install pacman from source?

ericramirez · 2021-01-03 20:01:52

Because I didn't know what to do... I thought I deleted it all

ericramirez · 2021-01-03 20:04:42

pacutils is not installed

loqs · 2021-01-03 20:05:53

Uninstall the source built pacman, hopefully it supports the following

# make uninstall

then follow the instructions from V1del's link.

V1del · 2021-01-03 20:06:22

As an additional argument --overwrite "*" or -dd to ignore the dep checks as the dependencies are likely there for other cases anyway, in order to install pacutils

loqs · 2021-01-03 20:07:41

Install pacutils skipping dependency checking which is broken with the empty pacman database

# pacman -Sdd pacutils

ericramirez · 2021-01-03 20:27:29

I'm geting this error now:

[skywalker@Tesla ~]$ sudo pacman "$@" --log /dev/null --noscriptlet --dbonly --overwrite "*" --nodeps --needed -S $(< pkglist)
error: no targets specified (use -h for help)
[skywalker@Tesla ~]$ recovery-pacman
bash: recovery-pacman: command not found

I pasted the bash funciton in .bashrc but it doesn't seem to work

seth · 2021-01-03 20:40:58

I pasted the bash funciton in .bashrc

Did you re-source the bashrc?

I'm geting this error now:

Looks like the file "pkglist" is empty.

ericramirez · 2021-01-03 22:37:49

Thank you all!! It worked like a charm.

I'm curious... What happens with my pacman? Since I installed ffrom source does it mean I can't update it automatically anymore?

loqs · 2021-01-03 22:47:31

As you built pacman without passing any options to configure

$ ./configure

It will be installed under the prefix /usr/local while the pacman supplied by the pacman package is under the prefix /usr.
As the prefixes are different the installation does not conflict. Which one you would be using depends on what is in $PATH and how it is ordered.

ericramirez · 2021-01-04 00:29:05

And how could I uinstall the one installed from source?

loqs · 2021-01-04 01:38:44

See post #13

ericramirez · 2021-01-04 03:23:06

"make uninstall" didn't work

seth · 2021-01-04 08:17:03

"Didn't work" isn't an error message, https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=57855

puzzle · 2022-07-26 11:10:47

Oh, my God, I ignored this directory when backing up the system, so I'm also facing this problem now

2ManyDogs · 2022-07-26 11:55:48

puzzle, you have been asked not to bump old topics. Please stop. Consider this your final warning.

Closing.

Arch Linux

#1 2021-01-03 19:19:17

Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#2 2021-01-03 19:28:10

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#3 2021-01-03 19:33:13

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#4 2021-01-03 19:41:03

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#5 2021-01-03 19:43:03

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#6 2021-01-03 19:43:57

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#7 2021-01-03 19:48:58

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#8 2021-01-03 19:55:28

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#9 2021-01-03 19:58:56

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#10 2021-01-03 20:00:15

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#11 2021-01-03 20:01:52

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#12 2021-01-03 20:04:42

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#13 2021-01-03 20:05:53

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#14 2021-01-03 20:06:22

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#15 2021-01-03 20:07:41

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#16 2021-01-03 20:27:29

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#17 2021-01-03 20:40:58

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#18 2021-01-03 22:37:49

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#19 2021-01-03 22:47:31

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#20 2021-01-04 00:29:05

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#21 2021-01-04 01:38:44

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#22 2021-01-04 03:23:06

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#23 2021-01-04 08:17:03

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#24 2022-07-26 11:10:47

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

#25 2022-07-26 11:55:48

Re: Deleted /var/lib/pacman by accident

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