Pacman: error while loading shared libraries: libxml2.so.2: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

[vashinator7]

@nepti

Yep, that’s exactly what you should do after fixing the symlink. This is necessary to get pacman running to fix the rest of the failed update.

Still hit the file not found on both kernels, Zen and LTS.

I got back into the chroot and confirmed this still shows up in usr/lib:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      13 Apr 26 17:57 libxml2.so -> libxml2.so.16
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      17 Apr 26 17:57 libxml2.so.16 -> libxml2.so.16.0.2
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1293256 Apr 26 17:57 libxml2.so.16.0.2
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      17 May 11 09:48 libxml2.so.2 -> libxml2.so.16.0.2

[nepti]

The symlink is present, now try again if pacman works so that you can reinstall the kernel. Without a working pacman you will not get any further.

[vashinator7]

Tried it, even just installing linux-lts. Regardless I get the following error:

sh-5.2# pacman -S linux-lts
pacman: /usr/lib/libxml2.so.2: no version information available (required by /usr/lib/libarchive.so.13)
pacman: /usr/lib/libxml2.so.2: no version information available (required by /usr/lib/libarchive.so.13)
pacman: /usr/lib/libxml2.so.2: no version information available (required by /usr/lib/libarchive.so.13)
pacman: /usr/lib/libxml2.so.2: no version information available (required by /usr/lib/libarchive.so.13)
pacman: /usr/lib/libxml2.so.2: no version information available (required by /usr/lib/libarchive.so.13)
pacman: symbol lookup error: /usr/lib/libarchive.so.13: undefined symbol: UTF8Toisolat1, version LIBXML2_2.4.30

Checking libarchive, I see:

ls -la libarchive*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root     20 Mar 31 00:38 libarchive.so -> libarchive.so.13.7.9
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root     20 Mar 31 00:38 libarchive.so.13 -> libarchive.so.13.7.9
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 870352 Mar 31 00:38 libarchive.so.13.7.9

It’s odd to me that it’s going back to the /usr/lib/libxml2.so.2 as the error when it’s symlinked.

Edit: The link: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Pacman#Manually_reinstalling_pacman

I see the static pacman and the option of using the live iso. I may try to add the -root flag and running it that way to attempt to install the kernels.

Edit 2: I am updating now. Apparently my hard disk also was full. Maybe that’s why I ended up having the failed update (though I recall no message saying anything about not enough space). So it seems like

• The disk got full and that left to the update failing
• Then the failed update broke libxml2 and the kernel.
• This left me unable to update.

So I was stuck in this limbo. The way I resolved it was:

• Get into the live usb
• Download pacman-static binary:
  https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/pacman-static
• Used the garuda-chroot info here to mount:
  https://forum.garudalinux.org/t/how-to-chroot-garuda-linux/4004
• mounting the home folder:
  mount -o subvol=@home /dev/nvme0np2 /mnt/home
• navigating to my home folder
  cd /mnt/home/<user>/.local/steam
• Looking through the folders there. Picking a game
  rm -r dir
• copied the pacman-static
  cd Downloads
sudo cp pacman-static /mnt/broken/@/.
• Used the rest of the garuda-chroot info to login and add the boot mount point

after garuda-chroot

• Ran ./pacman-static -Su -yy as it appears that’s what garuda-update was running
• Ran into a conflicting files error. Ran:
  ./pacman-static -Scc
  Yes to both
• Ran ./pacman-static -Su -yy again
  No dice… There were a lot of conflicting files.

Eventually after a lot of research. I elected to try the command below. DO NOT do this unless you’re prepared to possibly not have things work. I elected this route because I had so many conflicting files:
THIS IS A LAST RESORT
./pacman-static -Su -yy --overwrite '*'

This worked. I then unlinked the symlink from above and ran
pacman -S libxml2-legacy
It installed correctly.

I had to go to the advance option and select a Kernel, but I’ve successfully booted back in and ran garuda-update and flatpak update. I’m running paru now.

I’m sure there’s going to be fallout so will be working to reinstall here at some point soon.

[dbarron]

Yes, it’s highly likely that you had file corruption/partial files from disk full. I’m sure you know this, but generally, when you get about 80% you should think of house cleaning (for safety’s sake).
I did this just yesterday, when my system monitoring starting showing disk as a yellow condition (70%). I had crud that I had just let pile up (downloads).

[nepti]

@vashinator7

• The disk got full and that left to the update failing
• Then the failed update broke libxml2 and the kernel.
• This left me unable to update.

Root full, once again.

And you’re right:

@vashinator7

12ID-1 / 12raw-size 931.22 GiB 12size 931.22 GiB (100.00%) 12used 925.51 GiB (99.4%) 12fs btrfs
12block-size 4096 B 12dev /dev/nvme0n1p2 12maj-min 259:2

We overlooked that, including me.

But it’s good to hear that everything is working again.

[dbarron]

This is defn a case where maybe a good recommendation would be to put data on a separate partition space from /
I know that’s not a distro problem, but more a user one.

[nepti]

Now, in retrospect: everything indicated from the beginning that the drive was full - including the failed troubleshooting steps. As I said, with hindsight.

I think we should check off the topic with the slogan “weekend support”.