error: db5 error(11) from dbenv->open: Resource temporarily unavailable

If rpm command is not working in your system and it is giving an error message(error: db5 error(11) from dbenv->open: Resource temporarily unavailable).

What is the root cause of this issue?

How to fix this issue?   just a single command-
[root@localhost rpm]# rpm --rebuilddb

Detailed error message-

[root@localhost rpm]# rpm -q firefox

^Cerror: db5 error(11) from dbenv->open: Resource temporarily unavailable

error: cannot open Packages index using db5 - Resource temporarily unavailable (11)

error: cannot open Packages database in /var/lib/rpm

^Cerror: db5 error(11) from dbenv->open: Resource temporarily unavailable

error: cannot open Packages database in /var/lib/rpm

package firefox is not installed

[root@localhost rpm]#

RPM manage a database in which it store all information related to packages installed in our system.

/var/lib/rpm, this is directory where this information is available.

[root@localhost rpm]# cd /var/lib/rpm

[root@localhost rpm]# ll

total 75268

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root  3764224 Dec 29 07:51 Basenames

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root    16384 Dec 29 07:51 Conflictname

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root        0 Jan 25 13:20 __db.001

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root    81920 Jan 25 13:02 __db.002

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root  1318912 Jan 25 13:02 __db.003

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root  1122304 Dec 29 07:51 Dirnames

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root    28672 Dec 29 07:51 Group

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root    20480 Dec 29 07:51 Installtid

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root    69632 Dec 29 07:51 Name

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root    28672 Dec 29 07:51 Obsoletename

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 67674112 Dec 29 07:51 Packages

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root  2256896 Dec 29 07:51 Providename

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root   462848 Dec 29 07:51 Requirename

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root   139264 Dec 29 07:51 Sha1header

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root    73728 Dec 29 07:51 Sigmd5

-rw-r--r--. 1 root root     8192 Dec 29 07:49 Triggername

[root@localhost rpm]#

Out of these files __db.001/2/3 files are the index db files which helps rpm to give a quick response when we query for any information.

Examples:-

[root@localhost rpm]# rpm -q firefox

[root@localhost rpm]# rpm -ql firefox

[root@localhost rpm]# rpm -qf /etc/hosts

Solution:-

First of all verify your packages using below command-

[root@localhost rpm]# /usr/lib/rpm/rpmdb_verify Packages

rpmdb_verify: BDB1546 unable to join the environment

BDB5105 Verification of Packages succeeded.

[root@localhost rpm]#

Solution of this trouble is very simple, and it can be fixed by just a single command.

[root@localhost rpm]# rpm --rebuilddb

Check if now rpm command started working.

[root@localhost rpm]# rpm -q firefox

firefox-45.4.0-1.el7_2.x86_64

[root@localhost rpm]#

Yes, it is working, the issue has been fixed.