rpmdb: unable to initialize mutex: Function not implemented

["Paul Smith" <psmith@nortel.com>]

Hi all;

I have an SRPM that I want to build on my Debian "testing" box.  It has
a TON of patches which I definitely don't want to have to try to apply
by hand.

So, I've installed rpm (4.4.1-4) and I installed the SRPM.  When I did
this I got a bunch of errors:

  # rpm -i xxxx.src.rpm
  rpmdb: unable to initialize mutex: Function not implemented
  rpmdb: /var/lib/rpm/__db.001: unable to initialize environment lock: Function not implemented
  error: db4 error(38) from dbenv->open: Function not implemented
  rpm: To install rpm packages on Debian systems, use alien. See README.Debian.
  error: cannot open Packages index using db3 - Function not implemented (38)
  error: cannot open Packages database in /var/lib/rpm

However, it did appear to work properly and unpack everything so I
ignored it.

So then I moved on to use rpmbuild -bp to create the source with all the
patches applied, and I got the same set of errors as above, but this
time it didn't do anything else but fail.


I Googled around and every reference I see on the web says "you have
LD_ASSUME_KERNEL set; don't set it".  But, in my case I _don't_ have
that variable set.

However, I _AM_ using an older 2.4 kernel (2.4.20).

Is this my problem?  Doesn't rpm (or db4 or whatever) work with 2.4
kernels anymore?  Really?

Anyone have any idea how to resolve this problem?

Thanks!


PS. I should point out I have no RPM db: the directory /var/lib/rpm is
    empty.  But, running rpm --initdb ALSO fails with the above errors.

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Paul D. Smith <psmith@nortel.com>           HASMAT--HA Software Mthds & Tools
 "Please remain calm...I may be mad, but I am a professional." --Mad Scientist
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        These are my opinions--Nortel takes no responsibility for them.