RE: apt cache full, mandb update failed
Hi Brian,
>> This morning I wanted to do an apt-get update / upgrade cycle on my
>> system. The update went ok, but during the upgrade I got a " No space
>> left on device" warning.
>> [...]
>> Preparing to replace ssh 1:6.0p1-4+deb7u3 (using .../ssh_1%3a6.0p1-4+deb7u4_all.deb) ...
>> Unpacking replacement ssh ...
>> Processing triggers for man-db ...
>> /usr/bin/mandb: can't write to /var/cache/man/8774: No space left on
>> device Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme ...
>> Processing triggers for mime-support ...
>> [...]
>>
>> My /var partition had filled up, it seems out of the 3GB there was
>> about 2.5GB in /var/cache/apt/archives. The solution was simple, just
>> an apt-get autoclean, I now have 2.2GB free on my /var partition. ;-)
>>
>> But..... What wanted apt write to that mandb and was that important?
>
> Apt calls dpkg and it is during the course of installing with dpkg that the triggering process occurs. You can see this by doing
>
> dpkg -i /var/cache/apt/archives//openssh-server_1%3a6.0p1-4+deb7u4_i386.deb
Just did that again and it completed normaly. That is what I needed to know, now I know the mandb is up2date as well.
Thanks.
>> /usr/bin/mandb: can't write to /var/cache/man/8774: No space left on
>> device Was that that man page for ssh or something like that?
>
> Yes. mandb has an interest in what happens in /usr/share/man. Changes there lead to its updating its database.
> For reasons you give it didn't happen, so dpkg issues a *warning*.
> Nothing too serious to stop the unpacking and setting up of all the updated packages.
Well a disk full warning is pretty serious. But I get what you mean, a warning from mandb maintenance itself is not serious enough, just the reason why that happened.
>> After cleaning up I did another apt-get upgrade but it reported
>> nothing to do.
>
> This is to be expected, surely. All packages are at their newest versions.
I had hoped the failed mandb update would register somewhere and a second attempt to "upgrade" would fix it.
Turns out I needed that dpkg line to do that.
>> So if it failed to update some files why did it
>> complete anyhow?
>
> Would you rather the upgrade came to a halt because of some relatively minor issue?
Yes and no, according to apt-get it was a minor issue of a mandb update, the roor cause was a majot issue.
>
> apt-get --reinstall install openssh-server
>
> could be run after space is freed up.
I did it by running the dpkg line, same end result I guess.
Thank for the explanation and help fixing it.
Bonno Bloksma
Reply to: