I'm not exactly sure how this happened, but after a recent python/portage update, every time that I interact with emerge, I get this string of messages. The following is an example of calling emerge info in an attempt to create the issue while providing information to you. :-) I put the emerge info output, including these messages in the section where it was designated for emerge info output to be included. Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Do anything with emerge...sync, info, whatever. 2. 3. Actual Results: The "Performing Global Updates" happens all the time. Expected Results: That should be done one time and not again without an emerge sync between, especially after running fixpackages. pfeil1 root # epm -q portage python portage-2.0.51-r3 python-2.2.3-r5 python-2.3.4 pfeil1 root # emerge info Performing Global Updates: /usr/portage/profiles/updates/3Q-2002 (Could take a couple of minutes if you have a lot of binary packages.) .='update pass' *='binary update' @='/var/db move' s='/var/db SLOT move' S='binary SLOT move' p='update /etc/portage/package.*' ........................................................................................ Failed to write to mtimedb: 'module' object has no attribute 'HIGHEST_PROTOCOL' Performing Global Updates: /usr/portage/profiles/updates/4Q-2002 (Could take a couple of minutes if you have a lot of binary packages.) .='update pass' *='binary update' @='/var/db move' s='/var/db SLOT move' S='binary SLOT move' p='update /etc/portage/package.*' ................................................................................Failed to write to mtimedb: 'module' object has no attribute 'HIGHEST_PROTOCOL' Performing Global Updates: /usr/portage/profiles/updates/1Q-2003 (Could take a couple of minutes if you have a lot of binary packages.) .='update pass' *='binary update' @='/var/db move' s='/var/db SLOT move' S='binary SLOT move' p='update /etc/portage/package.*' .......................... Failed to write to mtimedb: 'module' object has no attribute 'HIGHEST_PROTOCOL' Performing Global Updates: /usr/portage/profiles/updates/2Q-2003 (Could take a couple of minutes if you have a lot of binary packages.) .='update pass' *='binary update' @='/var/db move' s='/var/db SLOT move' S='binary SLOT move' p='update /etc/portage/package.*' ..............................................@................................... Failed to write to mtimedb: 'module' object has no attribute 'HIGHEST_PROTOCOL' Performing Global Updates: /usr/portage/profiles/updates/3Q-2003 (Could take a couple of minutes if you have a lot of binary packages.) .='update pass' *='binary update' @='/var/db move' s='/var/db SLOT move' S='binary SLOT move' p='update /etc/portage/package.*' ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Failed to write to mtimedb: 'module' object has no attribute 'HIGHEST_PROTOCOL' Performing Global Updates: /usr/portage/profiles/updates/4Q-2003 (Could take a couple of minutes if you have a lot of binary packages.) .='update pass' *='binary update' @='/var/db move' s='/var/db SLOT move' S='binary SLOT move' p='update /etc/portage/package.*' ..................................................................... Failed to write to mtimedb: 'module' object has no attribute 'HIGHEST_PROTOCOL' Performing Global Updates: /usr/portage/profiles/updates/1Q-2004 (Could take a couple of minutes if you have a lot of binary packages.) .='update pass' *='binary update' @='/var/db move' s='/var/db SLOT move' S='binary SLOT move' p='update /etc/portage/package.*' ......................................... Failed to write to mtimedb: 'module' object has no attribute 'HIGHEST_PROTOCOL' Performing Global Updates: /usr/portage/profiles/updates/2Q-2004 (Could take a couple of minutes if you have a lot of binary packages.) .='update pass' *='binary update' @='/var/db move' s='/var/db SLOT move' S='binary SLOT move' p='update /etc/portage/package.*' ................................................................................................................ Failed to write to mtimedb: 'module' object has no attribute 'HIGHEST_PROTOCOL' Performing Global Updates: /usr/portage/profiles/updates/3Q-2004 (Could take a couple of minutes if you have a lot of binary packages.) .='update pass' *='binary update' @='/var/db move' s='/var/db SLOT move' S='binary SLOT move' p='update /etc/portage/package.*' ............................................................................................................................................................................................................@.. Failed to write to mtimedb: 'module' object has no attribute 'HIGHEST_PROTOCOL' Performing Global Updates: /usr/portage/profiles/updates/4Q-2004 (Could take a couple of minutes if you have a lot of binary packages.) .='update pass' *='binary update' @='/var/db move' s='/var/db SLOT move' S='binary SLOT move' p='update /etc/portage/package.*' ..................................... Failed to write to mtimedb: 'module' object has no attribute 'HIGHEST_PROTOCOL' Portage 2.0.51-r3 (default-linux/x86/2004.0, gcc-3.3.4, glibc-2.3.4.20040808-r1, 2.4.25-gentoo i686) ================================================================= System uname: 2.4.25-gentoo i686 Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 1.80GHz Gentoo Base System version 1.4.16 Autoconf: sys-devel/autoconf-2.59-r5 Automake: sys-devel/automake-1.8.5-r1 Binutils: sys-devel/binutils-2.14.90.0.8-r1 Headers: sys-kernel/linux-headers-2.4.19-r1,sys-kernel/linux-headers-2.4.21-r1 Libtools: sys-devel/libtool-1.5.2-r5 ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="x86" AUTOCLEAN="yes" CFLAGS="-march=pentium4 -O3 -pipe" CHOST="i686-pc-linux-gnu" COMPILER="" CONFIG_PROTECT="/etc /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xkb /usr/kde/2/share/config /usr/kde/3.1/share/config /usr/kde/3.2/share/config /usr/kde/3.3/env /usr/kde/3.3/share/config /usr/kde/3.3/shutdown /usr/kde/3/share/config /usr/lib/mozilla/defaults/pref /usr/share/config /usr/share/texmf/dvipdfm/config/ /usr/share/texmf/dvips/config/ /usr/share/texmf/tex/generic/config/ /usr/share/texmf/tex/platex/config/ /usr/share/texmf/xdvi/ /var/qmail/control" CONFIG_PROTECT_MASK="/etc/gconf /etc/terminfo /etc/env.d" CXXFLAGS="-march=pentium4 -O3 -pipe" DISTDIR="/usr/portage/distfiles" FEATURES="autoaddcvs autoconfig ccache distlocks fixpackages sandbox sfperms" GENTOO_MIRRORS="http://gentoo.osuosl.org http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/distributions/gentoo" MAKEOPTS="-j2" PKGDIR="/usr/portage/packages" PORTAGE_TMPDIR="/var/tmp" PORTDIR="/usr/portage" PORTDIR_OVERLAY="/usr/local/portage" SYNC="rsync://rsync.gentoo.org/gentoo-portage" USE="X Xaw3x acl acpi apm arts avi berkdb bitmap-fonts bonobo cdr crypt cups curl doc emacs encode esd ethereal evo f77 fam fastcgi fbcon firebird flac flash foomaticdb fortran gb gd gdbm ggi gif gnome gpm gstreamer gtk gtk2 gtkhtml guile imagemagick imap imlib java jikes jpeg kde kerberos ldap libg++ libgda libwww mad maildir mbox mcal memlimit mikmod mmx motif mozilla mpeg mysql nas ncurses nls odbc oggvorbis opengl oss pam pda pdflib perl plotutils png python qt quicktime readline ruby samba sasl sdl slang slp speex spell sqlite sse ssl svga tcltk tcpd tetex tiff truetype usb wmf x86 xface xml xml2 xmms xosd xv zlib" Failed to write to mtimedb: 'module' object has no attribute 'HIGHEST_PROTOCOL'
This happens if portage is using python-2.2. What output do you get from the following? # python -v -c 'import pickle'
That solves the issue, then. I had to temporarily drop my python version down to 2.2. Now that I know that that is the issue, I will ensure to bump python's version when performing an emerge. Thanks, and sorry for wasting your time. --Jason
Merge portage again... The ebuild will fix the source to handle the missing symbol.
As noted... Mostly painless, highly annoying. Can be fixed by remerging portage.
