Thanks for the suggestion - it is the only one I have had! I hope you don't mind me copying my reply to the list as well - it may generate some offers of /var/lib/rpm/ 's. I think the mandrake list was the wrong one to post - but it does seem to be a serious vulnerability. A friend has had the same thing happen on a RedHat system, and ended up re-installing. The latest Linux Journal notes the problem, and names /var/lib/rpm/ as an essential backup , but it would be better if the rpm database was more secure or front-ends made their own backups before any attempted change. Meanwhile, I am thinking about reinstalling before I hit real problems - but it may be Debian instead! Richard Smith On Sun, 05 Nov 2000, you wrote: > Just a stab in the dark, perhaps someone with a install similar to yours > could send you contents of their /var/lib/rpm/ directory. Then you run rpm > deletes and installs to get it exactly right. > > HTH, > Bill > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Richard Smith > > Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2000 5:11 PM > > To: Mandrake Expert List > > Subject: [expert] Missing RPM Database > > > > > > My /var/lib/rpm has been deleted. I don't know how it > > happened - I suspect > > Mandrake Update (it was killed during a troublesome > > download), but I have no > > proof. Or perhaps it was someone else in DrakConf ? A case > > for Inspector Clouzot > > perhaps?? > > Now I am there, how do I get out? I have looked at Maximum > > RPM, and I cannot > > understand how rpm --initdb or rpm --rebuilddb can help > > unless rpm has access > > to the original rpm files. Anyway, if I try rpm --initdb or > > rpm --rebuilddb or > > rpm -anything I always get the same message: > > "failed to open /var/lib/rpm/packages.rpm: No such file > > or directory" > > before rpm jacks out. So I can't install, upgrade or anything. > > Do I really have to start from scratch again? If so, RPM and > > friends need a > > government health warning. I back up /root, /home and /etc > > regularly, but I > > didn't know how vital /var/lib/rpm is, and how vulnerable. > > Has anyone got any > > other vital backup suggestions I may not be aware of? > > > >
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