error: rpmdbNextIterator

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Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 Service Pack 1

Situation

error: rpmdbNextIterator: skipping h# 881 blob size(21356): BAD

This error occurred when trying to do a software update. The errors below popped up in a window as the yast2 software update window closed and disappeared. After setting ulimit -c unlimited we could see that yast2 was coring.

I believe this error can show up when trying to do a number of things in yast2.

error: rpmdbNextIterator: skipping h# 881 blob size(21356): BAD, 8 + 16 * il(0) + dl(0)

error: rpmdbNextIterator: skipping h# 913 blob size(13820): BAD, 8 + 16 * il(0) + dl(0)

error: rpmdbNextIterator: skipping h# 945 blob size(67712): BAD, 8 + 16 * il(0) + dl(0)

...

error: rpmdbNextIterator: skipping h# 5086 blob size(16084): BAD, 8 + 16 * il(0) + dl(0)

error: rpmdbNextIterator: skipping h# 5118 blob size(28752): BAD, 8 + 16 * il(0) + dl(0)

error: rpmdbNextIterator: skipping h# 5135 blob size(4740): BAD, 8 + 16 * il(0) + dl(0)

Ultimately ending up in a Segmentation fault.

The cause of the problem was corrupted rpm database.

Resolution

The rpm database was fixed with the following command:

rpmdb - - rebuilddb

Disclaimer

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