hang while using smart to install packages on SuSE system

[Mikus Grinbergs]

On Thu, 9 Feb 2006 07:28:19 -0500 Jeff Johnson <n3npq at mac.com> wrote:
>
> >> I don't think the problem was fixed. I am using 0.41-10 with SuSE 10.0
> >> and smart still hangs occasionally. I just do the kill -9 and restart it
>
> You *must* do
>      rm /var/lib/rpm/__db*
> after *every* "kill -9" or you will hang on a stale lock.

I must have been lucky.  I've now had two freezes with 0.41, have
used "kill -9" both times, and have __NOT__ encountered anything
that looks like a "stale lock" -- things continue correctly on
re-launch.  Nor have I ever seen strange entries in /var/lib/rpm.

Or perhaps, it is not 'rpm' that is hanging, but 'smart' that is
waiting for something (and not acting on requests <e.g., close>) ?

mikus


p.s.  You mention zombie processes.  In both cases I did 'ps -A'
      (to find the smart PID) and there was only one process
      called 'smart' and nothing that looked like a zombie.

      [There is a process called 'pdflush' sticking around that I
       don't know where it came from.]

pps.  If I see this problem again. I will follow Mauricio's
      directions.