I accidentally broke KDE whilst rpm database was damaged

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#1

I had some issues that seemed to have coincided with a broken rpm database. I eventually fixed this following some advice, using the command:

rpm --rebuilddb

However, before I ran that command, as a result of the broken rpm database, KDE wouldn’t load. Whilst trying to fix it I accidentally uninstalled all the KDE related rpms. Then when I tried to reinstall them, they all gave errors.

After the rebuild, it looks like I can reinstall them again, however I still can’t get into KDE (either Plasma or OpenBox KDE), so I am still accessing this machine using IceWM.

It is possible that I haven’t installed all of the KDE dependencies? I was hoping that Yast2 would automatically add them, but I may have missed something. Or maybe something else is wrong?

**Context
**This is an outstanding issue after fixing the issues described in another thread. Since the main issues in that thread are fixed I’m marking it resolved and starting a new thread for this issue.

#2

Have you installed the KDE patterns that should bring in all KDE/plasma dependencies

#3

KDE doesn’t care at all about the rpm database, KDE not loading is definitely not the result of a broken rpm database.
Probably your system was inconsistent/not fully updated though, causing the problem.

Try to run “zypper dup” and see if some packages get updated.

If that doesn’t help, run plasmashell inside IceWM and post the error messages you (hopefully) get.

#4

The patterns were never uninstalled. They are apparently up to date. I could check again if necessary.

#5

I did a “zypper dup” immediately after fixing the rpm database as the next thing when kde still wouldn’t load. I am trying it again now. Will report back once it has finished and I get to reboot and see if it worked. Then I will try the plasmashell. Is that just from typing it in a terminal window?

#6

Yes.
You could also try “startkde”, but IIRC that will abort at some point as it cannot run the window manager (because IceWM’s is already running). Might show the critical error before that already though.

#7

Whilst the KDE patterns were never uninstalled, I accidentally clicked yes during a ‘zypper dup’ when it suggested:

The following 33 packages are going to be REMOVED:
  akonadi-calendar-tools akonadi-import-wizard akonadi-search baloo5-file baloo5-imports baloo5-kioslaves baloo5-tools baloo5-widgets kaccounts-integration kaccounts-providers kcalutils kdeclarative-components kdelibs4support kdepim-runtime kio_audiocd kleopatra kmail-account-wizard kmailtransport kwin5 libKF5Baloo5 libKF5Holidays5 libKF5KCMUtils5 libKF5QuickAddons5 libKF5Runner5 libKPimGAPICalendar5 libKPimGAPIContacts5 libKPimGAPITasks5 libKPimImportWizard5 plasma5-session plasma5-session-wayland plasma5-workspace plasma-framework purpose
#8

Well, then just reinstall them again:

sudo zypper in akonadi-calendar-tools akonadi-import-wizard akonadi-search baloo5-file baloo5-imports baloo5-kioslaves baloo5-tools baloo5-widgets kaccounts-integration kaccounts-providers kcalutils kdeclarative-components kdelibs4support kdepim-runtime kio_audiocd kleopatra kmail-account-wizard kmailtransport kwin5 libKF5Baloo5 libKF5Holidays5 libKF5KCMUtils5 libKF5QuickAddons5 libKF5Runner5 libKPimGAPICalendar5 libKPimGAPIContacts5 libKPimGAPITasks5 libKPimImportWizard5 plasma5-session plasma5-session-wayland plasma5-workspace plasma-framework purpose

Easy to do with copy/paste… :wink:

At the very least you need plasma5-session, that should pull in everything necessary to be able to start Plasma.

OTOH, if the patterns are still installed, “zypper inr” (install recommends) should help as well.
Although, the patterns so require e.g. plasma5-session so I find it doubtfull that they are still installed if you removed those packages.

#9

Copy paste doesn’t work in the IceWM terminal, or at least not that I could find.

However, whilst I haven’t checked them all, the ones I did check are already reinstalled and up to date (I tried to do it via Yast2 a few days back).

#10

Maybe it would help if I explain what happens when I try to login to KDE or Open Box KDE.

If I select those on the login screen, it tries to enter them, shows me the lightbulb animation flash screen, then after a few seconds returns to login.

#11

I’d copy paste the results of ‘zypper inr’, but its not easy in the IceWm terminal, I’d have send the output to a file, then open it in an editor and copy paste from there. Suffice to say however all dependencies are installed. Nothing to do.

#12

There is no “IceWM terminal” that I know of.
I suppose you mean xterm…

But copy/paste should work the same for any X11 application. After you selected a text with the left mouse button, you can paste that selection by clicking the middle mouse button. That’s an X11 feature and should work “everywhere” (although the selection will be lost if you close the window/application).
xterm probably has some key combination to paste the current clipboard content too, but I can’t tell at the moment…

#13

You can upload a file to susepaste.org by using the “susepaste” command (package “susepaste”)… :wink:
And then post a link here.

But if there’s nothing to do, the rest of the output shouldn’t be very interesting either.

Try to run “zypper ve” and/or “rpm -Va” to verify your system.
But to find the reason why Plasma doesn’t start, it’s probably easier to just try to run it in xterm and look at the output.

#14

PS: you should be able to reach xterm’s settings by holding the Ctrl key and click on its window with the middle mouse button.
If you enable “Select to clipboard” there, it should use the clipboard instead.
Shift+Insert would paste as well, same as clicking the middle mouse button.

OTOH, you can also run konsole in IceWM…

Regarding your problem, an error message should also show up in the file ~/.xsession-errors-:0, but that gets emptied on login, so you’d need to switch to text mode and copy/move it before you login again.

#15

are you sure all your repo’s are TW ones doing a zypper dup with a bad repo (not necessarily not for TW) could result with plasma 5 login issues so what’s your repo list

zypper lr -d
#16 
antonchanning:~> zypper lr -d
Repository priorities in effect:                                                                                                                                                       (See 'zypper lr -P' for details)
      98 (raised priority)  :  1 repository
      99 (default priority) :  1 repository
     100 (lowered priority) :  1 repository
     101 (lowered priority) :  1 repository

# | Alias               | Name                        | Enabled | GPG Check | Refresh | Priority | Type   | URI                                                      | Service
--+---------------------+-----------------------------+---------+-----------+---------+----------+--------+----------------------------------------------------------+--------
1 | openSUSE-20180130-0 | openSUSE-20180130-0         | Yes     | (r ) Yes  | Yes     |   98     | rpm-md | http://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/        |        
2 | packman             | packman                     | Yes     | (r ) Yes  | Yes     |  101     | rpm-md | http://packman.inode.at/suse/openSUSE_Tumbleweed/        |        
3 | repo-debug          | openSUSE-Tumbleweed-Debug   | No      | ----      | ----    |   99     | NONE   | http://download.opensuse.org/debug/tumbleweed/repo/oss/  |        
4 | repo-non-oss        | openSUSE-Tumbleweed-Non-Oss | Yes     | (r ) Yes  | Yes     |  100     | rpm-md | http://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/non-oss/    |        
5 | repo-source         | openSUSE-Tumbleweed-Source  | No      | ----      | ----    |   99     | NONE   | http://download.opensuse.org/source/tumbleweed/repo/oss/ |        
6 | repo-update         | openSUSE-Tumbleweed-Update  | Yes     | (r ) Yes  | Yes     |   99     | rpm-md | http://download.opensuse.org/update/tumbleweed/          |

Sweet, the middle button. I used to know that trick back in the 1990s on Sun workstations! Glad to have that reminder! Super handy!

Here is the error from loading plasmashell from the xterm. *(I knew it was different than the regular terminal in KDE, I guess I should know it is not icewm specific. I simply meant the terminal available in icewm.)
*

antonchanning:~> plasmashell
plasmashell: error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib64/libKF5XmlGui.so.5: file too short
#17

Please, please, read wolfi’s comments. Do NOT use YaST or some updater applet to update Tumbleweed. ONLY use ‘sudo zypper dup’ from a terminal window and nothing else. IMO that’s where the culprit lies.

#18

No, not in this case.
And he already ran “zypper dup” a few times without any effect… :wink:

That file is corrupted for some reason.
Reinstall the corresponding package:

sudo zypper in -f libKF5XmlGui5

That should fix your problem (unless other files are corrupted as well).

#19 
Retrieving repository 'packman' metadata ........................................................................................................................................................................[done]
Building repository 'packman' cache .............................................................................................................................................................................[done]
Loading repository data...
Reading installed packages...
Forcing installation of 'libKF5XmlGui5-5.44.0-1.1.x86_64' from repository 'openSUSE-20180130-0'.
Resolving package dependencies...

The following package is going to be reinstalled:
  libKF5XmlGui5

1 package to reinstall.
Overall download size: 343.6 KiB. Already cached: 0 B. No additional space will be used or freed after the operation.
Continue? [y/n/...? shows all options] (y): y
Retrieving package libKF5XmlGui5-5.44.0-1.1.x86_64                                                                                                                                (1/1), 343.6 KiB (  1.1 MiB unpacked)
Retrieving: libKF5XmlGui5-5.44.0-1.1.x86_64.rpm .....................................................................................................................................................[done (1.0 MiB/s)]
Checking for file conflicts: ....................................................................................................................................................................................[done]
(1/1) Installing: libKF5XmlGui5-5.44.0-1.1.x86_64 ...............................................................................................................................................................[done]
Additional rpm output:
/sbin/ldconfig: File /usr/lib64/libKF5AkonadiCore.so.5 is empty, not checked.
/sbin/ldconfig: File /usr/lib64/libKF5AkonadiCore.so.5.7.3 is empty, not checked.
/sbin/ldconfig: File /usr/lib64/libKF5AkonadiXml.so.5 is empty, not checked.
/sbin/ldconfig: File /usr/lib64/libKF5AkonadiXml.so.5.7.3 is empty, not checked.
/sbin/ldconfig: File /usr/lib64/libKF5AkonadiAgentBase.so.5 is empty, not checked.
/sbin/ldconfig: File /usr/lib64/libKF5AkonadiAgentBase.so.5.7.3 is empty, not checked.
/sbin/ldconfig: File /usr/lib64/libKF5Bookmarks.so.5 is empty, not checked.
/sbin/ldconfig: File /usr/lib64/libKF5Bookmarks.so.5.44.0 is empty, not checked.
/sbin/ldconfig: File /usr/lib64/libKF5AkonadiWidgets.so.5 is empty, not checked.
/sbin/ldconfig: File /usr/lib64/libKF5AkonadiWidgets.so.5.7.3 is empty, not checked.

I will reboot to see if this has fixed it…

#20 
antonchanning:~> plasmashell
kf5.kcoreaddons.desktopparser: Unable to find service type for service "Plasma/LookAndFeel" listed in "/usr/share/plasma/look-and-feel/org.kde.breezedark.desktop/metadata.desktop"
kf5.kcoreaddons.desktopparser: Unable to find service type for service "Plasma/LookAndFeel" listed in "/usr/share/plasma/look-and-feel/org.kde.breeze.desktop/metadata.desktop"
kf5.kcoreaddons.desktopparser: Unable to find service type for service "Plasma/LookAndFeel" listed in "/usr/share/plasma/look-and-feel/org.kde.breeze.desktop/metadata.desktop"
kf5.kservice.services: "" has no desktop group, cannot construct a KPluginInfo object from it.
kf5.kservice.services: "" has no desktop group, cannot construct a KPluginInfo object from it.
Plasma Shell startup completed
kf5.kcoreaddons.desktopparser: Unable to find service type for service "Plasma/Shell" listed in "/usr/share/plasma/shells/org.kde.plasma.desktop/metadata.desktop"
Containment graphic object not valid

It seems to hang.

I can’t login to KDE Plasma or Openbox KDE.