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#1 2009-07-07 00:41:16

Allamgir
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Registered: 2009-06-11
Posts: 168

Downgrade an arch package with the live CD?

I recently upgraded the kernel, I believe it was kernel-headers v. 2.6.30.1-1, and now neither Arch Linux nor Arch-Fallback will boot! I've been looking around to find a way to downgrade the kernel, but all of the methods I've found require that one can boot into arch and run commands. I have a 2009.2 FTP Install CD. Is there any way I could take that CD, log in as root, and install an old kernel package on my actual hard drive? Arch is installed on the /dev/sda3 partition, so how would I get there and be able to install packages and edit files on the hard drive? If I can't find the old kernel package on my system (and I should be able to; I haven't run pacman -Scc yet), then I was hoping I could edit my pacman.conf file to use a mirror that hasn't been updated yet.

What do I do? I'm completely stuck! sad

EDIT: I found this site called the Arch Rollback Machine http://arm.kh.nu/core::2009-6-10/os/i686/, where I can download old kernel packages. The only problem is, even if I download those to my Windows partition (my arch install is a dual boot with Vista), then I don't know if I have a way of getting those packages on my Arch partition, let alone installing them with the Live CD.

Last edited by Allamgir (2009-07-07 00:44:24)


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#2 2009-07-07 01:00:30

arkham
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From: Stockholm
Registered: 2008-10-26
Posts: 516
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Re: Downgrade an arch package with the live CD?

1) Boot an Arch LiveCD

2) mount /dev/sda3 /mnt
3) mount --bind /dev/ /mnt/dev
4) mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
5) mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
6) chroot /mnt
7) pacman -U /var/cache/pacman/pkg/kernel26-VERSION.pkg.tar.gz

8) Reboot

Good luck wink

Last edited by arkham (2009-07-07 01:03:02)


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#3 2009-07-07 01:43:05

Allamgir
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Registered: 2009-06-11
Posts: 168

Re: Downgrade an arch package with the live CD?

Uh oh. When I run chroot /mnt, I get the error "chroot: cannot run command '/bin/bash': No such file or directory. For the other commands, I had to run mkdir to create /mnt/sys, etc. In this case, if I run mkdir /bin/bash, I get the error: "mkdir: cannot create directory '/bin/bash': File exists.

EDIT: I didn't see your edit. Now when I try to do the pacman -U, I get an error that it could not open the package file sad

Last edited by Allamgir (2009-07-07 01:48:33)


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#4 2009-07-07 01:58:23

arkham
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From: Stockholm
Registered: 2008-10-26
Posts: 516
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Re: Downgrade an arch package with the live CD?

Allamgir wrote:

EDIT: I didn't see your edit. Now when I try to do the pacman -U, I get an error that it could not open the package file sad

Have you used your own kernel version instead of VERSION ?


"I'm Winston Wolfe. I solve problems."

~ Need moar games? [arch-games] ~ [aurcheck] AUR haz updates? ~

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#5 2009-07-07 02:16:21

Allamgir
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Registered: 2009-06-11
Posts: 168

Re: Downgrade an arch package with the live CD?

Yes. I substituted VERSION for 2.6.29.3-1 (I believe; I'm away from my comp now). Should I just keep trying different versions? Also, I'm pretty sure it was only kernel-headers that was upgraded, though I could be wrong. Should I install kernel-headers, kernel-firmware, or kernel26 first/only? Do they all have to be the same version, or is changing kernel26 alone sufficient?

Lastly, if I use an old kernel version from, say, a few months ago and then edit my pacman.conf to ignore kernel26, will any other packages be broken?


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#6 2009-07-07 16:36:40

lilsirecho
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Registered: 2003-10-24
Posts: 5,000

Re: Downgrade an arch package with the live CD?

Perhaps the use of the live CD is best described in the wiki "kernel Panics".  Follow method "2".

It begins with "log in as root".

Then

#arch

The steps to follow are listed in the wiki and may eliminate your failed chroot problem.

The wiki describes how to downgrade the kernel from your pacman cache.

It forces the mkinitcpio to be exercised as well.

You may also use this method to re-install the kernel that failed which also includes the mkinitcpio run.

Best of luck!!


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#7 2009-07-07 21:46:10

Allamgir
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Registered: 2009-06-11
Posts: 168

Re: Downgrade an arch package with the live CD?

Alright, now when I run

mount /dev/sda3 /mnt

I get the error "wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sda3," etc. I am using jfs and /dev/sda3 is my root partition. How can I mount a jfs partition from the live cd?


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#8 2009-07-07 22:10:34

Allamgir
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Registered: 2009-06-11
Posts: 168

Re: Downgrade an arch package with the live CD?

YES! I got it working! Thanks so much everyone!! Ok, now I'm going to set pacman to ignore kernel26 and then backup my system before I do another full upgrade. Wish me luck!


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