Upgrade: 10.3->11.1: rpm db is corrupted!

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hello All!
Have successfully done (most of) an upgrade to 11.1 from 10.3. Get all packages installed, but at the last step, an error is thrown saying rpmdb is corrupted…

Apparently, install tries to run:

rpmdbsolv -r '/mnt'-p /mnt/etc/products.d' <etc>

System is now un-bootable, as GRUB still points to the old kernel. Assuming this could be fixed by running a fix of rpmdb, but how to get to a command prompt?

OR, what is the correct GRUB syntax to accommodate the 11.1 kernel?

2

If the kernel was installed, you can use GRUB’s interactive mode to choose a different kernel. Something like:

root (hd0,0) # or whatever
kernel /boot/<TAB> completion works here <any additional parameters>
initrd /boot/<TAB> completion also works here
boot

Otherwise boot with the install DVD/CD and run the repair system.

3

In addition to ken’s post to fix the rpm db run rpm --rebuilddb in a console as su

/Geoff

4

Thanks Ken and Geoff,

I’ve used the Repair System to check the rpmdb (presumably it made any repairs necessary?)

Also reinstalled the Boot Loader at the same time, as system was freezing at load of GRUB second stage - and it still is!

Now I’ve got a completely un-bootable system. Now what?

Must admit, I’ve always found SuSE to be very, very smooth to install - until this upgrade.

5

If I was you, I’d go for a clean fresh install of 11.1. Upgrades can often mess up things and require lots of time to fix them

6

You can try one last thing before doing a reinstall, install GRUB by hand. Boot with the install DVD and choose Rescue System. Login as root, no password, then do:

mount /dev/sda2 /mnt (or whatever the partition is)
grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda