rpmDrake, configure sources, unable to update

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r1nso13 : 28/12/02 07:36 PM : Incident created -   Hi- I've got Mandrake up and it's running well; I've even installed some packages with rpmDrake not included in the initial install. I want to install in a package (abiword) from my local archive (/home/ransom/Documents/rpm) using rpmDrake, or at least urpmi. However, I'm having trouble: I open the control center and the urpm 'configure sources' box. I add the directory by browsing and the "relative path to synthesis/hdlist" as '../base/hdlist4.cz', and of course name it something like "local archive". [This is based on the 'starter' guide found in the 'documentation' section of the 'official' Mandrake website and the fact that the disks' paths were '../base/hdlist*.cz' *=1,2, and 3 respectively. I suspect this is my problem, but I can't find any documentation to tell me what the 'synthesis/hdlist' is. The aforementioned documentation is sparse and the stuff from MandrakeUser seems to apply to 8.2] In any case, after filling in the fields as described I clicked OK and got a cryptic "Unable to update medium; it will be automatically disabled" message, and sure enough, whenever I start the Edit urpm source it's disabled and when i click "add new software" i can't find the new "source repository" or whatever the dropdown menu calls the directory. Perhaps i should just use rmp as I did to install the fonts package, but I also want to be able to use RPMdrake w/ FTP servers, etc, so any added info i'll need to set up a remote source would also be appreciated (beyond the most basic concepts, of course). Thanks a lot
Linegod_7611 : 28/12/02 08:01 PM : Reply received -   The reason your local source will not work is that urpmi (and therefore rpmdrake) _does not_ require a 'hdlist.cz' file for local resources, it only requires them for remote resources. # urpmi.addmedia local file://home/user_name/rpms # urpmi.update local See http://www.mandrakeuser.org/docs/basics/brpm3.html for further info on setting it up. For info on setting up urpmi, see http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/jwrobinson/docs/urpmi-howto/ Also, for adding other resources, this is a handy URL: http://plf.zarb.org/~nanardon/urpmiweb.php -------- Note: If this answer resolves your problem, please remember to close this incident.
r1nso13 : 28/12/02 10:18 PM : More info provided -   Thanks for your help, all those URLs are very useful, but my urmp dilemmas are not over, it seems. Here's a summary: 1. After posting the first question, I went to MandrakeForum and saw "Updates for urpm" right at the top of the page. I thought they might be the solution to my problem, so I ran "mandrake update" from the 'control center' and downloaded 3 or 4 packages under the "bug fixes" section that seemed to apply to 9.0. I'm not sure if this could've messed anything up, but it's pertenant information at least. 2. I ran the commands suggested in the first reply and i've got an enabled "local" in my software sources manager (yay!), but when I run rpmdrake and choose to view the available packages by source repository, "local" doesn't show up even though my file manager shows that the 3 rpm files (again, abiword) that I want to install are in the correct directory. It DOES, however, show a new "update_source" source repository, so that's good. 3. Here's the really troubling one: I can't remove the first "local archive" source that I installed. Here it is: [root@localhost ransom]# urpmi.removemedia ransom's archive ransom's archive trying to select inexistent medium "ransoms archive ransoms" removing medium "ransom's archive" examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.Installation CD 1 (x86) (cdrom1).cz] examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.Installation CD 2 (x86) (cdrom2).cz] examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.International CD (x86) (cdrom3).cz] examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.update_source.cz] examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.local.cz] unable to uncompress synthesis file at /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/5.8.0/urpm.pm line 869. 4. Even MORE troubling: the x-windows "configure sources" interface seems to be broken too, now. I tried to remove "ransom's archive" with it, but the window just vanished. The logfile shows the program starting and says "removing media ransom's archive" , but it's never removed. I get similar results when I try to edit it using x-windows. Perhaps I messed up downloading those "bug fixes"?
Linegod_7611 : 29/12/02 05:28 AM : Reply received -   I doubt it has anything to do with the update. Could you do the following: # rpm --rebuilddb # urpmi.update -a Then type 'urpmi' and submit the complete error message it produces. -------- Note: If this answer resolves your problem, please remember to close this incident.
r1nso13 : 29/12/02 09:05 AM : More info provided -   [First: Linegod - many thanks for your help; I've been reading thru the archive and it seems you do more than your share as a 'Mandrake Expert'. Hopefully, I'm also less inept as a result.] I ought to say before running the commands [adding to this as I go] that I got tired of dealing with frontends and just edited the config file {and ran urpmi.remove media just in case} so i now only have the cdroms and ftp source repositories configured. Anyway, I updated everything and got: [root@localhost ransom]# urpmi everything already installed So it seems I have to same problem addressed here: http://www.mandrakeexpert.com/showarchive.php?arc=44739 But no. I regret to admit that I got this wonderful dist from cheapbytes.com and, as a result, I only have 3 cds. Nonetheless, I tried the following: [root@localhost ransom]# urpmi.update cdrom3 examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.Installation CD 1 (x86) (cdrom1).cz] examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.Installation CD 2 (x86) (cdrom2).cz] unable to access medium "International CD (x86) (cdrom3)" examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.update_source.cz] Again, the archives: http://www.mandrakeexpert.com/showarchive.php?arc=44208 Ok, but first I made a backup of file:/etc/urpmi/urpmi.cfg Here we go: [root@localhost ransom]# urpmi.removemedia cdrom3 removing medium "International CD (x86) (cdrom3)" examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.Installation CD 1 (x86) (cdrom1).cz] examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.Installation CD 2 (x86) (cdrom2).cz] examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.update_source.cz] found 0 headers in cache removing 0 obsolete headers in cache write config file [/etc/urpmi/urpmi.cfg] [root@localhost ransom]# urpmi gcc-g77 everything already installed [root@localhost ransom]# urpmi everything already installed Oh man, something's still broken. I don't get it though: what config files are messed up? I like to know what's going on behind the programs sometimes. I tried # rpm --rebuilddb # urpmi.update -a again just in case, but #urpmi always produces the same message. Maybe I should remove all the cdrom's? If I just knew WHY it kept giving me this message, I image i could fix it. .... but a few quick command line entries would suffice as well. I'll post a new incident addressing my original task (install abiword) later if I still have problems. Before doing anything described here I tried to install w/ the d/ls from abisource.com and got some error messages a/b the packages being faulty somehow. But that's for another day,
Linegod_7611 : 29/12/02 06:59 PM : Reply received -   My mistake. I should have had you do 'urpmi.update' with no qualifiers, and output the error. I was checking to see what media urpmi was listing. The output of 'urpmi' should be 'Everything already installed' or the 'help' output, depending on your version. Before this goes on too long, abiword is on the CDs, so you might just try 'urpmi abiword'. ------- Note: If this answer resolves your problem, please remember to close this incident.
r1nso13 : 29/12/02 08:16 PM : More info provided -   [root@localhost ransom]# urpmi.update the entry to update is missing (one of Installation CD 1 (x86) (cdrom1), Installation CD 2 (x86) (cdrom2), update_source) [root@localhost ransom]# urpmi abiword everything already installed Remember: - I removed cdrom3 as well as my local "archive" (3 rpm packages) - I only have 3 CDs... according to Control Panel --> Install software and the dump above, i don't think abiword is on them nonetheless, you're right: this is lengthy, sorry. I'll just post a more focused incident dealing with one problem at a time, but first: -are 'hdlist.cz' files required for removeable sources?
r1nso13 : 29/12/02 08:55 PM : More info provided -   PS- abiword is installed from rpmfind.net;;;; i just had to find a mandrake dist. package. It's not the latest version (that's only available on cooker) but nonetheless, I'm happy with it.
r1nso13 : 30/12/02 03:33 AM : Incident closed -

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