Broken pacman, can't fix keyring, broken solution, and can't update nvidia

I apologize for a previous post that had to do with this or a similar problem, but I was unable to respond because life got in the way. Fortunately it was resolved for someone else who chimed in with the same issue. :slight_smile:

I havenā€™t been able to install any packages that required importing keys. Nothing imperative so I did without extra packages. Now Iā€™m having more issues.

First, I canā€™t update nvidia drivers with new kernel. This lead to working on updating the keyring, because thatā€™s been a mess. I first noticed pacman was having issues when running ā€˜bmenuā€™, ā€œFix Pacmanā€ was highlighted RED and I ran it a few times. The problem persisted, or it stayed red anyway. Now I have looked for solutions and came to here: https://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php/Pacman_troubleshooting

successfully updated manjaro-keyring, but archlinux-keyring-*-any.pkg.tar.xz does not exist, at least not at that address.

I went back to trying to resolve the problem of installing my nvidia drivers. I found a solution here: https://forum.manjaro.org/t/unable-to-satisfy-dependency-nvidia-driver-install/22864

I get all the way to removing cuda to prepare for installing my nvidia-x-x-prime (i am on a hybrid/alienware laptop) and then follow up with:

sudo mhwd -f -i pci video-hybrid-intel-nvidia-450xx-prime

and get:

**> Installing video-hybrid-intel-nvidia-450xx-prime...**
Using default
Has lib32 support: true
Sourcing /var/lib/mhwd/db/pci/graphic_drivers/hybrid-intel-nvidia-450xx-prime/MHWDCONFIG
Processing classid: 0300
Sourcing /var/lib/mhwd/scripts/include/0300
:: Synchronizing package databases...
 core is up to date
 extra is up to date
 community is up to date
 multilib is up to date
resolving dependencies...
looking for conflicting packages...

Packages (4) lib32-nvidia-450xx-utils-450.66-1  linux58-nvidia-450xx-450.66-15  nvidia-450xx-utils-450.66-1  nvidia-prime-1.0-4

Total Installed Size:  367.82 MiB

:: Proceed with installation? [Y/n] 
checking keyring...
downloading required keys...
:: Import PGP key CAA6A59611C7F07E, "Philip Mueller <philm@manjaro.org>"? [Y/n] error: key "CAA6A59611C7F07E" could not be looked up remotely

y:: Import PGP key 428F7ECC7117F726, "Helmut Stult <helmut@manjaro.org>"? [Y/n] error: key "428F7ECC7117F726" could not be looked up remotely

error: required key missing from keyring
error: failed to commit transaction (unexpected error)
Errors occurred, no packages were upgraded.
Error: pacman failed!
**Error: script failed!**

Seemed to have found solution here: https://www.cupoflinux.com/SBB/index.php?topic=2959.15

ā€¦but ran into multiple issues getting through anything. first:

sudo pacman-mirrors -g     # This will update the mirrors
sudo pacman -Syy           # This will sync your local package-list
sudo pacman -S gnupg       # This will (re-)install your gpg-keys
sudo pacman-key --populate archlinux manjaro   # This will re-populate your Arch- & Manjaro-keys
sudo pacman-key --refresh-keys                 # This will refresh your pacman-keys
sudo pacman -S archlinux-keyring               # This will install the archlinux-keyring
sudo pacman -Syyu          # This will finally upgrade all your packages

I got to second line and this is what I get:

> sudo pacman -Syy
:: Synchronizing package databases...
error: failed to update core (unable to lock database)
error: failed to update extra (unable to lock database)
error: failed to update community (unable to lock database)
error: failed to update multilib (unable to lock database)
error: failed to synchronize all databases

So I followed up with the next:

sudo rm -R /etc/pacman.d/gnupg/
sudo rm -R /root/.gnupg/ 
sudo gpg --refresh-keys
sudo pacman-key --init && pacman-key --populate archlinux manjaro
sudo pacman-key --refresh-keys

got all the way to the last line thinking, OMG Iā€™m saved but insteadā€¦

> sudo pacman-key --refresh-keys                                        
gpg: refreshing 139 keys from hkps://hkps.pool.sks-keyservers.net
gpg: keyserver refresh failed: General error
==> ERROR: A specified local key could not be updated from a keyserver.

Iā€™m so hoping someone can help me get out of this. I am trying so hard just to get to work. I donā€™t know what Iā€™m missingā€¦ I seem to fix one thing just to have something else break on me. My system was fine till I found out it wasnā€™t able to detect my audio interface due to being on a RT kernel. Once I switched to the newest stable (I think)ā€¦ it picked it up without me even askingā€¦ at the same time, I lose my dual monitors because for some reason I canā€™t install the graphics card because of this keyring issueā€¦ that was never a problem before, until now, when I needed to get nvidia drivers. But this pgp problem has been here from the get go. I need to find a solution or iā€™m just gonna have to can it and move on to something else so I can have my studio back. :frowning:

1 Like

Try sudo pacman-key --keyserver hkp://pool.sks-keyservers.net --refresh-keys

On top of @wntr 's advice:

Why are you trying to update to the 450 series unless you have a brand-new card?

(Have a look at my profile: the 450 series has a lot of bugs. If you have the 440 series: stay where you are!)

:scream:

I guess because keeping your graphics driver up to date has always been a standard for me. But, good to know. I somehow got past the issue. I have 2 monitors working and everything seems to be okay graphicallyā€¦ but then I seem to have this same problem happening again and again, I get one thing fixed and another things breaksā€¦ and itā€™s been the SAME 2 ISSUES back and forth. And that is my audio going completely dead.

Iā€™m so ready to kick a hole in something cus it never endsā€¦ for months now anyway. I keep reinstalling Manjaro thinking I got it this time but it happens every time.

My audio works at first, then I set up the graphicsā€¦ I barely succeed in getting it to work, like it is now, and somehow through that process I lose my audio. ALSA does not detect anything. Suddenly any volume controls or configs for pulseaudio and jack are empty and nothing I do works.

The whole point of getting this system running is to make a home audio station. I have somehow completely failed at it, never even being able to play a single note through it. Iā€™m pretty much just distraught over this. Frustrated to the core.

I appreciate the feedback.

1 Like

itā€™s something that is happening to me too much. And I think in the wiki of manjaro has to beā€¦

I entered that and received gpg: keyserver refresh failed: Server indicated a failure
==> ERROR: A specified local key could not be updated from a keyserver. Help