Updates messing up 2006

[Rowan]

Last night I decided to use the command line to download updates for my 2006 powerpack. I have had problems using MCC in the past so I decided to use the command line and so I input the following:

 

urpmi.update -a && urpmi --auto-select.

 

I then went to bed to let it do it's thing and upon checking this morning I noticed that most of the updates/rpms that were downloaded had '2007.0' as part of their name. I rebooted my system and found that linux would not load properly - I have the bootloader and then the screen turned blue/grey with the penguin and the progress bar along the bottom but after that KDE would not load and all that I got was a black screen asking me for my login and password.

 

I entered MCC and checked that my graphics card etc had not fallen over but everthing seems ok. I read somewhere about entering 'startx', which I tried, as SU, but I only got a red screen with a warning that I should not proceed any further. If I try startx not as SU I get just the usual blue/grey background with the cursor as an x but nothing else.

 

I am thinking that maybe the updates with 2007 in their names have corrupted my 2006 system.

 

Is anybody able to cast any light on what might have happened and also how it get KDE back again ? I don't want to have to do a complete reinstall as I have some business items that I don't want to delete.

 

I suspect that whatever is wrong is only a minor thing because of have a partial boot up.

 

Many thanks in anticipation.

 

 

[moved from Cooker by spinynorman]

[Rowan]

OOPS!

Somehow I managed to post this item in the wrong section. Are the mods able to transfer it to the correct section ?

 

Please accept my apologies for this mistake.

[spinynorman]

Please accept my apologies for this mistake.

No problem. B)

[ianw1974]

Sounds like you added the wrong repositories and updated to 2007. I'd also update your kernel, since 2007 probably won't work too well on a 2006 kernel and hence your problems. Try:

 

urpmi kernel-2.6.17.11mdv

 

and once installed, reboot with this.

[Rowan]

I tried what you suggested but got the answer " no package found ".

I then tried this

urpmf --name kernel | grep 2.6.17

and I got quite a list of kernels with 2.6.17 in their names. I tried a couple of others eg 2.6.17.13-4 and

2.6.17.14-3 and even just plain, old 2.6.17 and they all came up as " no package found ".

 

Am I using the wrong syntax or maybe the lines are down (always a good backup excuse) or maybe I have just shagged my system to the point where it can't load a kernel ??

 

My step-daughter has just told me that some of her university assignment papers and notes are trapped on 2006 and she has told me that I will be lampshade material if anything happens to them .

 

Any suggestions welcome.

[ianw1974]

Can you copy and paste the exact command you are using? Just in case, as I cannot see how you're typing it unless you typed it like I said for installing as above.

[Rowan]

Can you copy and paste the exact command you are using? Just in case, as I cannot see how you're typing it unless you typed it like I said for installing as above.

Because I am using windoes to write this I am unable to copy and paste but I was typing as follows:

urpmi kernel-2.6.17.11mdv just as you said. I double checked it and this is how.

Did I do it wrong ?

[ianw1974]

What urpmi sources have you got?

 

urpmq --list-media

 

and tell me what it reports back.

[Rowan]

I tried to do as you suggested but could not get my system to co-operate.

It has been suggested to me that I could use my 2006 insatallation dvd to do a partial reinstall by deleting

and re-writing just the one problem partition. Is that possible ?

If it is possible is somebody able to walk me through the process ?

On the other hand maybe I should download 2007 and just do an update of the whole system. Would an update overwrite all partitions or just update what is necessary while leaving the 'home' directory alone ??

 

Many thanks

[ianw1974]

Downloading and using the Mandriva 2007 CD is probably better than trying to go back to 2006 on your current system.

 

Although, if you boot from the CD it will detect your system. Then you can choose to format the partitions where you don't have files. So, make sure you don't format /home, else you'll lose all files you have stored in your user directory.

 

If you do this, and format just / and swap, which are the default partitions setup when installing Mandriva, then you'll be able to reinstall with 2006 or 2007 depending on which you prefer. Both would be clean installs, preserving your data in /home.

[Rowan]

Sorry about the delay in replying - my job took me away from home.

I did as you suggested and just formatted hda5, which appears to be the os directory and everything came back to the way that it was. Hda7 came up as the home directory so I didn't touch that at all. I then VERY CAREFULLY re-input the urpmi update selections and installed 212 updates. I did lose opengl for gaming but I have now cured that and things are almost back to how they were.

Just one thing - Should the os kernel and the ati kernel be a matched set or can they be different updates ? I suspect that mine have different numbers and what can I input into a konsole to see details ?

 

Many thanks

 

Downloading and using the Mandriva 2007 CD is probably better than trying to go back to 2006 on your current system.

 

Although, if you boot from the CD it will detect your system. Then you can choose to format the partitions where you don't have files. So, make sure you don't format /home, else you'll lose all files you have stored in your user directory.

 

If you do this, and format just / and swap, which are the default partitions setup when installing Mandriva, then you'll be able to reinstall with 2006 or 2007 depending on which you prefer. Both would be clean installs, preserving your data in /home.