Troubleshooting “already been bootstrapped” Message on IBM i

Setting up the open source environment on IBM i from Access Client Solutions (ACS) is usually easy, but sometimes you can run into problems. The most common error is when ACS claims that the environment is already set up (“bootstrapped”), when in fact it isn’t.

“This system has already been bootstrapped!”

The “DANGER: This system has already been bootstrapped!” message can be caused by an interrupted installation. ACS checks only for the existence of the RPM database—one small element of the installation—when it displays the “already been bootstrapped” warning. The easiest way to eliminate the warning:

1. Start by deleting the /QOpenSys/var/lib/rpm directory. Then go back to ACS to set up the environment again. If that does not work, try option 2.
2. If Step 1 wasn’t enough, you need to run again with a special flag. If the script fails, it gives you a flag that will forcibly install a new environment, using the files it placed in /tmp. You can run this from a PASE shell like so:
   1. Open a PASE shell through CALL QP2TERM or SSH.
   2. Run cd /tmp
   3. Run ./bootstrap.sh --yes-this-is-unsupported-but-i-know-what-i-am-doing

Once you follow the steps above, the open source environment is set up anew, and you can get to work with it.