10.3 : Yast2 Segfaults , No Updates

I have noticed that my 64 bits laptop doesn't have any updates since a few days, whereas my other computers under 10.3 / 32 bits receive updates often.
I must say i am not sure that 64bits is the source of the problem.
So i decided to run Yast2 graphically and i clicked the icon to "install or suppress softwares" (don't know how it's called in english since i use a french translation). Then a new yast window opens , as usual, it starts downloading on the repos, as usual, and then it looks at rpm cache, as usual, and then ... it crashes !
Then appears a small window called "x message" telling me that something made a segmentation fault in yast ...
Here is what it says :

YaST got signal 11 at YCP file /usr/share/YaST2/clients/sw_single.ycp:187
/sbin/yast2: line 386: 28210 Erreur de segmentation**$ybindir/y2base $module "$@" "$SELECTED_GUI" $Y2_GEOMETRY $Y2QT_ARGS

Translation : erreur de segmentation = segmentation fault ( in french )

Any body can help ?

I know of a couple things that can cause yast2 software management seg faults (and there are probably others):
a. bad repository in your repos list, and
b. corrupted rpm database.

Lets check the first one. Type:
<span style="font-family:Courier New">zypper -v lr</span>
and either paste the output here, or if it is too large, paste it on http://pastebin.ca and post here the URL of the pasebin page.

I can try that :

Mode documenté : 1
#**| activé | Rafraîchir | Type** | Alias************************************************************************** | Nom********************************************************| URI 
---+--------+------------+--------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1**| Non****| Non********| yast2**| openSUSE-10.3-DVD 10.3**********************************************************| openSUSE-10.3-DVD 10.3************************************ | cd:///?devices=/dev/sr0
2**| Oui****| Oui********| rpm-md | openSUSE-10.3-Updates********************************************************** | openSUSE-10.3-Updates**************************************| http://download.opensuse.org/update/10.3/
3**| Oui****| Oui********| yast2**| http://download.opensuse.org/reposit...************** | Dépôt principal (OSS)**************************************| http://download.opensuse.org/reposit...10.3/standard/
4**| Oui****| Oui********| rpm-md | X11:Utilities****************************************************************** | X11:Utilities**********************************************| http://download.opensuse.org/reposit...openSUSE_10.3/
5**| Oui****| Oui********| rpm-md | http://download.videolan.org/pub/videolan/vlc/SuSE/10.3/************************| VideoLan Repository****************************************| http://download.videolan.org/pub/vid...vlc/SuSE/10.3/
6**| Oui****| Oui********| rpm-md | NVIDIA Repository************************************************************** | NVIDIA Repository******************************************| http://download.nvidia.com/opensuse/10.3
7**| Non****| Non********| rpm-md | Education:desktop************************************************************** | Education:desktop******************************************| http://download.opensuse.org/reposit...openSUSE_10.3/
8**| Oui****| Oui********| rpm-md | http://download.opensuse.org/reposit...openSUSE_10.3/ | openSUSE BuildService - OpenOffice.org******************** | http://download.opensuse.org/reposit...openSUSE_10.3/
9**| Oui****| Oui********| rpm-md | KDE:Community****************************************************************** | KDE:Community**********************************************| http://download.opensuse.org/reposit...openSUSE_10.3/
10 | Oui****| Oui********| rpm-md | packman(guru)****************************************************************** | packman(guru)**********************************************| http://packman.unixheads.com/suse/10.3
11 | Oui****| Oui********| rpm-md | update_wireless**************************************************************** | update wireless********************************************| http://download.opensuse.org/reposit...E_10.3_update/
12 | Oui****| Oui********| rpm-md | filesharing******************************************************************** | filesharing************************************************| http://download.opensuse.org/reposit...openSUSE_10.3/
13 | Oui****| Oui********| rpm-md | home:hgraeber****************************************************************** | home:hgraeber**********************************************| http://download.opensuse.org/reposit...openSUSE_10.3/
14 | Oui****| Oui********| yast2**| http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/10.3/repo/non-oss/********************| Dépôt principal (NON-OSS)**********************************| http://download.opensuse.org/distrib.../repo/non-oss/
15 | Non****| Oui********| NONE** | http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/10.3/repo/debug/**********************| http://download.opensuse.org/distrib....3/repo/debug/ | http://download.opensuse.org/distrib....3/repo/debug/

OK, thanks.

First, let me note I use Smart for my software management, and not YaST/zypper, so you will have the assessment of someone who knows very little about this, but rather someone who is just looking at what he see's, and asking: "does that make sense?".

I was hoping one of our experienced YaST users would chime in, but thus far that has not happened.

Anyway, my observations are:
a. Item-6 (nvidia) looks strange to me. I don't think it is an "rpm-md" format, and I recommend you remove this repos for the moment. You can always add it later.
b. Item-15 (debug repos) of type NONE. That looks strange to me. Should not the type be identified? I recommend you remove this repos for the moment. You can always add it later if I am wrong.
c. Item-2 (updates) and Item-14 (Non-OSS) are clearly essential. I confess I am not familiar with type "yast-2". Did you insert these manually yourself, or was this handled by the YaST software GUI ? If you did this syntax yourself, I would be suspicious, but if done by YaST, then it should be ok.
d. Item-10 (packman). The format of the Packman Unixheads URL struck me as somewhat strange. Again, did you insert this manually yourself, or was this handled by the YaST software GUI ? If you did this syntax yourself, I would be suspicious, but if done by YaST, then it should be ok.

And finally, I noted you have both VideoLAN and Packman active at the same time. That will not cause a segmentation fault, but it will cause circular dependency problems for installation attempts of some applications. I recommend you disable VideoLAN, and leave it that way, and only enable IF and WHEN there is a VideoLAN app that you want, that you can not get from Packman.

And finally, to repeat myself, I am NOT a YaST user. I am a Smart user. These are only my observations.

If this doesn't do the trick, I can provide the commands for an rpm database rebuild, but I think it more likely this is a bad URL entry in the repository table of YaST.

And finally, I noted you have both VideoLAN and Packman active at the same time. That will not cause a segmentation fault, but it will cause circular dependency problems for installation attempts of some applications. I recommend you disable VideoLAN, and leave it that way, and only enable IF and WHEN there is a VideoLAN app that you want, that you can not get from Packman.
[/b]

This could be a possible suspect as it the combination caused me trouble one time as well.

ChrisdR, I would suggest to try to first rebuild the zypper.db and see if that sets things right.. have a look here http://www.suseforums.net/index.php?s=&amp...st&p=222178 and also read through it. Might give some good pointers.

Cheers,
Wj

I tried the solution exposed here : http://www.suseforums.net/index.php?showtopic=48185
But to no avail so i tried the solution indicated by WJM :

cd /var/cache/zypp
mv zypp.db /root/zypp.db
zypper refresh

And that worked...
Thank you for your help...

What caused my problem ?
Is this a known bug ?

What caused my problem ?
Is this a known bug ?
[/b]

Not sure if it's a known bug but it looks like the zypper db can get a little screwy when adding some community repros. The problem could be something going wrong with zypper listings when the repros get refreshed and there are changes in the repro itself... I wouldn't now how to debug so call it a hunch. I've only had to 'repair' the db once or twice in a years time and seen a couple of others in the forum here.. but I don't think it's something that happens too often?

One option is to report this as a bug (or add to an existing report) and maybe ask an enhancement to let the zypper refresh run automated when these errors occur. The only downside I see in doing this is the time it takes to rebuild the db.
Though the first thing to do would be to find out what is exacly causing the problem.

Cheers,
Wj