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Recover corrupted family tree

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{{languages|Recover_corrupted_family_tree}}
{{man warn|Obsolete Information|This troubleshooting documentation is oriented around a superseded dependency in Gramps. Reliance on the BSDDB database engine was removed in the 5.1 release.}}Explanation of '''family tree''' and '''[[Recover_corrupted_family_tree#Version_2.2.x:_GRDB_corruption |GRDB ]] corruption''', how to recover from it, and how to avoid it in the future.
== Family Tree corruption ==
=== What causes this corruption? ===
Not really known.  However, [[Template:Releases/2.2.10|Gramps version 2.2.x]] made family tree Database corruption with family trees is however far less likely than with the previous format of storing your family tree Gramps version 2.2.x uses* See {{bug|8875}} Database corruption bugs
=== How do you know about it? ===
=== What to do now? ===
[[File:FamilyTreesManager-Dialog-ShowingRedErrorStatusIcon-Sample-50.png|450px|right|thumb|Family Trees (Manager) - Dialog - Showing Red Error Status Icon for "Sample" Family Tree]]'''It is advisable not to click the [[Database_Formats#Repairing_a_Corrupt_Database|repair button ]] right away. ''' It should work, but GRAMPS Gramps might believe an error is present while this is in reality not true. Repairing your tree then will lead to loss of the last typed changes.
Instead, take a backup of the family tree that is given problems. In a terminal do:
gramps -l
This will give you a list with all family trees and the directory where they are stored, normally somewhere in the directory ~/.gramps/grampsdb. Look at your [[Gramps_4.1_Wiki_Manual_-_User_Directory|user directory]]. Copy the directory of the tree with problems so as to have a backup:
cp -a <target directory> <backup directory>
If the recover button was present on the Gramps family tree, click it. All should work again. If you notice you lost information, or the repair button does not work, then do the following.
If recovery worked, but you do not like the result, backup this data and place your backup taken above back in its original position. You now have again the bad family tree to work on. Next, obtain the bsddb BSDDB recovery tools, see your distributions package search page. The program is called db4.8_recover, where 4.8 might be an older or newer version number. See your BSDDB version into {{man menu|Help -> About}} dialog or with <code> gramps -v</code> command.
Run this tool as follows:
db4.8_recover -c
That should do the trick, and allow GRAMPS Gramps to load the family tree. If not, then start a ticket on the gramps Gramps bug tracker.
====Windows OS====
{{out of date|says # ...TO_COMPLETE...}}
# download Oracle tools on: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/products/berkeleydb/downloads/index-082944.html
# ...TO_COMPLETE...
=== I have backup gpkg gbkp files ===If you have a backup, you can try to recover the backup gpkg <code>.gbkp</code> files. Do the following steps:The procedure to recover your data from <code>.gbkp </code> files is:# Make note of the "Family Tree" name you are trying to recover, from the "Family Tree Manager".# Close the Gramps program.# Locate your [[Gramps_4.1_Wiki_Manual_-_User_Directory|User Directory]] dependent on your operating systems.# Locate the <code>grampsdb</code> folder under your User Directory (''Also known as folders on some operating systems.[http://superuser.com/a/247396]'')# Under the <code>grampsdb</code> folder are stored all your "Family Tree" databases each in separate directories (eg:If you have 10 Family Trees you will have 10 folders each with an automatically created system generated folder name), locate the database you are trying to recover by opening <code>name.txt</code> file in a text editor and seeing if the name matches the Family Tree you are trying to recover. If it does match, make note of the directory name.# {{man menu|If that folder contains <code>.gbkp</code> files, you can continue your attempt to recover the Family Tree.}}# Copy all the <code>.gbkp </code> files to a new directory that you must create in your database <code>grampsdb</code> directory, eg . give the directory a unique name ''<code>a1111</code>''# Copy From the original Family tree directory copy the <code>name.txt, open it in </code> file to the new directory you created.# In the new directory open <code>name.txt</code> in a text editor and set change the content to a unique name.eg: '''Family Tree 1''' to '''Family Tree 1 recovery attempt'''# Create In the new directory create a file with name '''<code>need_recover</code>'''. {{man menu|Mind the underscore and the lack of an extension}}. The content of that file is unimportant.(Are you using Microsoft Windows and having difficulty creating this file then see {{bug|8665#c44245}} for a possible work around)# Start the Gramps, click on program.# Select the family tree with the name you adjusted in step 29 eg. '''Family Tree 1 recovery attempt''' {{man label|(Do not double click on the family tree name)}}. There should be a red stop sign with next to that filenamefamily tree name. Click on # Select the {{man button|Repair}} button and the {{man label|Repair Family Tree?}} dialog will show, at this point select the Recover {{man button|Proceed, I have taken a backup}} button or you can select {{man button|Stop}} to exit the repair attempt. # The Gramps program will attempt to repair and recover the family tree and if successful the red stop sign should disappear . # From the Family Tree manager select the repaired family tree and you should be able to load that {{man button|Load Database}} the family tree.# From the menu select {{man menu|Family Trees > Make Backup..}} and create a backup as insurance.
=== Implement more security ===
If you work on Gramps regularly: backup the directory holding the family tree databases. These are very large files however.
If you know you work on GRAMPS Gramps sporadically only, or have no space to backup your trees regularly, then do [[How_to_make_a_backup|backup]] in XML format (the .gramps format). Do not forget to disable privacy filters...The XML format will open up just fine over 5 many years on another computer with another OS. This will probably '''not''' be the case for the databases a family tree is stored in. XML is machine- and human-readable. It is completely self-sufficient. It is also small. The following are good practices of [[How_to_make_a_backup|backups]] :
1. Export to XML from time to time, especially after large edits.
2. Export to XML before making big changes, such as importing new data into an existing database from e.g. GEDCOM, merging records, running tools that may heavily modify the data, etc.
3. Export to XML before upgrading GRAMPS Gramps to a newer version. Apparently, export to XML with old version before you install the new one!
4. Export to XML before upgrading your OS.
Trying to open a family tree after a downgrade is not supported. You will obtain an error that the database is created with a newer version.
 
=== Oracle Berkeley DB Command Line Utilities ===
Use "<code>db_recover -cv</code>" for more verbose output.
 
dbdump dumps database in text format and dbload use that:
 
<code>db_dump database.db > dump.txt</code>
 
<code>db_load database.db < dump.txt</code>
 
Your log sequence number is out of sync so you need to reset them:
 
<code>db_load -r lsn database.db < dump.txt</code>
 
See [https://gramps-project.org/bugs/view.php?id=9559#c48620][https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E17076_02/html/api_reference/C/utilities.html]
== Version 2.2.x: GRDB corruption ==
{{man note|This section refers to Gramps Version 2.2.x}}
 
===What causes this corruption?===
The leading cause of grdb corruption is moving the grdb file from its original location. Whether you move the file to another directory, rename it, copy into another file, transfer to another machine, or another user account -- all of those will "corrupt" the file.
What happens is that the grdb file needs its database environment -- a directory with log files, lock files, temp files, etc. The 2.2.x gramps Gramps releases uses grdb files and stores the environment for each file, under a tree in a <code>~/.gramps/env</code> directory. If your grdb file is <code>/home/user/genealogy/MyData.grdb</code> then its environment is in the <code>/home/user/.gramps/env/home/user/genealogy/MyData.grdb</code> directory.
So moving, copying, or renaming the file will copy the file's bytes, but not its environment. This is why the moved file appears corrupted.
Another cause can be an upgrade or downgrade of your operating system to a bsddb BSDDB database backend that does not support fully the previous form of the database (eg, changed hash versions). This will also seem like a corruption in GRAMPSGramps, but actually means the bsddb BSDDB tools must be used to convert to data to a new version.
Not being able to open a /tmp/... file in GRAMPS Gramps 3.0.x on opening grdb files indicates database corruption. This is because the grdb file you want to open is copied to the /tmp dir, and then opened. All failure results in the '/tmp/tmpxxxxx could not be opened'
===What do I do now?===
====The environment still exists====
If you have environment directory for that file, copy it under the above gudelinesguidelines.
;Example: You copied <code>/home/user/genealogy/MyData.grdb</code> to <code>/home/user/genealogy/backup/BackupData.grdb</code> and the new file is not working.
;Solution: Copy <code>/home/user/.gramps/env/home/user/genealogy/MyData.grdb</code> directory into <code>/home/user/.gramps/env/home/user/genealogy/backup/BackupData.grdb</code> and this should fix the problem.
====The environment is lost====
If you don't have the original environment for that file, you may try dumping and loading your data using Berkeley DB tools. Depending on your system, they may be called <code>db_dump</code> and <code>db_load</code>, <code>db41_dump</code> and <code>db41_load</code>, <code>db4.4_dump</code> and <code>db4.4_load</code>, ... In Ubuntu you find them in the package <code>db4.8-util</code>. You might need more recent versions depending on the version your distribution uses in its python package. So for eg Ubuntu Hardy created files, you will need <code>db4.8-util</code>. Whatever they are called, there should be a dump tool and a load tool, and they should be version 4 or later. For Fedora 17 this is 'db4-utils-4.8.30-10.fc17'. For Fedora 18 this is 'libdb4-utils-4.8.30-5.fc18' (note the new package name).
Basically, you just dump the grdb into a text file, then create a new grdb from that text file:
$ db4.8dump 8_dump BackupData.grdb > somefile.txt
$ db4.8_load newfile.grdb < somefile.txt
and then cross your heart and hope that <code>newfile.grdb</code> will open in Gramps.
# Export to XML from time to time, especially after large edits.
# Export to XML before making big changes, such as importing new data into an existing database from e.g. GEDCOM, merging records, running tools that may heavily modify the data, etc.
# Export to XML before upgrading GRAMPS Gramps to a newer version. Apparently, export to XML with old version before you install the new one!
# Export to XML before upgrading your OS.
Also, use XML format for any data migration. Moving to another machine, sending data to grandma, copying to another user on the same machine -- all of these cases should use XML.
{{languages|Recover_corrupted_family_tree}}==See also==* [[How to make a backup]]
[[Category:How do I...Troubleshooting]]
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