Arch Linux

grobber

Member

Registered: 2018-02-09

Posts: 31

[SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

I am trying to update the system with the usual

sudo pacman -Syu

This chokes on downloading community.db repeatedly:

:: Synchronizing package databases...
 core downloading...
 extra downloading...
 community downloading...
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from arch.mirror.constant.com : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from us.mirrors.cicku.me : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from mirror.wdc1.us.leaseweb.net : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from arch.mirror.constant.com : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from arlm.tyzoid.com : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from mirrors.vectair.net : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from mirrors.vectair.net : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from arch.mirror.constant.com : Protocol "rsync" not supported
warning: too many errors from arch.mirror.constant.com, skipping for the remainder of this transaction
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from losangeles.mirror.pkgbuild.com : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from us.arch.niranjan.co : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from mirrors.lug.mtu.edu : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from mirror.sfo12.us.leaseweb.net : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from mirror.sfo12.us.leaseweb.net : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from arlm.tyzoid.com : Protocol "rsync" not supported
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from us.arch.niranjan.co : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from america.mirror.pkgbuild.com : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from mirrors.lug.mtu.edu : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from mirrors.lug.mtu.edu : Protocol "rsync" not supported
warning: too many errors from mirrors.lug.mtu.edu, skipping for the remainder of this transaction
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from mirrors.bjg.at : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from mirrors.acm.wpi.edu : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed to synchronize all databases (failed to retrieve some files)

I seem to remember something about a database format upgrade when doing a recent update; I am not sure if this has anything to do with that.

Last edited by grobber (2025-03-02 03:01:35)

skunktrader

Member

From: Brisbane, Australia

Registered: 2010-02-14

Posts: 1,589

Re: [SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

You are 2+ years out of date

https://archlinux.org/news/cleaning-up- … ositories/

grobber

Member

Registered: 2018-02-09

Posts: 31

Re: [SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

You are 2+ years out of date

So I am.. Thank you for pointing me to that! As I understand, all I have to do is comment out [community] in /etc/pacman.conf. I have done so, and an update went smoothly just now.

Thanks again for the speedy help; I will marked this 'solved'.

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 12,431

Re: [SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

For reference: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Pacman … nd_Pacsave

Ignore your pacnew files, things blow up. Ignore the news, things blow up. This is normal.

Last edited by Scimmia (2025-03-02 03:06:40)

pawamoy

Member

Registered: 2019-12-10

Posts: 3

Re: [SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

@grobber thanks for opening this thread, it was helpful to me since I was out of date too. @Scimmia I would have loved *not* to ignore the pacnew files or the news if I knew they existed ^^ I suppose my distro maintainers usually do that kind of update for me, though I'm on an abandoned one (ArchLabs). Removed community entry from /etc/pacman.conf as mentioned, working fine now. Thanks everybody

Last edited by pawamoy (2025-03-02 10:58:36)

hakova

Member

Registered: 2009-11-11

Posts: 13

Re: [SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

@grobber thanks for opening this thread, it was helpful to me since I was out of date too. @Scimmia I would have loved *not* to ignore the pacnew files or the news if I knew they existed ^^ I suppose my distro maintainers usually do that kind of update for me, though I'm on an abandoned one (ArchLabs). Removed community entry from /etc/pacman.conf as mentioned, working fine now. Thanks everybody

I second that. Thank you, @grobber and everybody else who helped clarify the issue here!

soloturn

Member

Registered: 2016-04-18

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

would have been nicer if the update could have removed it by itself. i love arch because it is low maintenance, and has sensible defaults.

skunktrader

Member

From: Brisbane, Australia

Registered: 2010-02-14

Posts: 1,589

Re: [SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

would have been nicer if the update could have removed it by itself.

2 years ago it did IF you hadn't modified pacman.conf -- in which case it generated a pacnew file for you you to merge. If you didn't merge it then you were bitten by this.
If you read the news you would have been warned.
How much more can the devs reasonably do?

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 12,431

Re: [SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

i love arch because it is low maintenance.

I don't know where you got that idea, but it is completely and utterly false. It requires constant and timely maintenance.

basie

Member

Registered: 2017-09-28

Posts: 18

Re: [SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

Another 2+ years out of date, thanks for the re-education! Need to look into better maintenance habits.

JamesCovenant

Member

Registered: 2014-10-24

Posts: 4

Re: [SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

sudo pacman -Syu

community.db failed to download
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from mirrors.vectair.net : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from america.mirror.pkgbuild.com : The requested URL returned error: 404
error: failed retrieving file 'community.db' from archlinux.uk.mirror.allworldit.com : The requested URL returned error: 404
update constantly and just started getting this.

Last edited by JamesCovenant (2025-03-03 05:57:27)

seth

Member

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 61,475

Re: [SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

Did you read the thread?
Fix your pacman.conf, don't ignore update messages, frequently run pacdiff.

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JamesCovenant

Member

Registered: 2014-10-24

Posts: 4

Re: [SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

poked around it was a pacnew needed to update

nilamo

Member

Registered: Today

Posts: 1

Re: [SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

I installed Arch less than 6 months (Dec 2024).  I'm seeing this error.  The condescension in this thread about not updating or watching news articles is uncalled for, imo

seth

Member

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 61,475

Re: [SOLVED] unable to retrieve community.db: 404 errors

The community.db was removed 2 years ago.
There's *no way* you installed an at least somewhat not-completely-oudated-ish arch-archlinux (in contrast to random-derivate-archlinux) last december and had the repo in your pacman.conf.
None.

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