Error: function strtonum never defined

[steffanson]

Hi!

Since updating from https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/commit/73f44c607b48b6c7af89aa3cc034fa3d93d98379 to https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/commit/b9dbf8cf1a4609d16304c3f2740e97d5057d9a1a I see the following error on my RaspberryPi 2, running Raspbian 8:

awk: line 2: function strtonum never defined
awk: line 2: function strtonum never defined
awk: line 2: function strtonum never defined
(23) Failed writing body

when I invoke sudo rpi-update. The latest updates are installed via apt-get.

Do you have any idea what causes this error or how I can debug or resolve it? If you need more information, please let me know.

[popcornmix]

What does awk --version report for you?

[Whobeu]

Have the same problem with Wheezy. "awk --version" says "awk: not an option: --version". Man page says it is version 1.2.

[popcornmix]

Can you report output of:

which awk
awk

[Linux-Maverick]

Same problem here. which awk /usr/bin/awk awk awk -W version mawk 1.3.3 Nov 1996, Copyright (C) Michael D. Brennan

compiled limits: max NF 32767 sprintf buffer 1020

[steffanson]

Weird, I haven't uninstalled awk; however it was no longer installed.

Package awk is a virtual package provided by:
  original-awk 2012-12-20-2
  mawk 1.3.3-17
  gawk 1:4.1.1+dfsg-1
You should explicitly select one to install.

E: Package 'awk' has no installation candidate

I now installed GNU Awk 4.1.1, API: 1.1 (GNU MPFR 3.1.2-p3, GNU MP 6.0.0) and rpi-update works again.

[Steltek]

Same problem on Debian Jessie. manpage describes it as 'mawk'. Package manager says 'mawk v1.3.3-17'

[popcornmix]

Strange. I have:

pi@domnfs:~ $ awk --version 
GNU Awk 4.1.1, API: 1.1 (GNU MPFR 3.1.2-p3, GNU MP 6.0.0)
Copyright (C) 1989, 1991-2014 Free Software Foundation.

But seems some users have mawk as the default awk.

Anyway can you test this version of rpi-update which avoid strtonum

sudo wget -O /usr/bin/rpi-update "https://drive.google.com/uc?id=0B-6zmEDJwxZEYUNYbXZUa01aNXM&export=download"

[Whobeu]

Same as Linux-Maverick noted above. /usr/bin/awk and "1.3.3 Nov 1996".

I made a copy of my rpi-update and edited it to remove the offending lines as well as the self-update routine. Updated me to 4.9.30 without a hitch. I'll leave it alone until there is a permanent fix.

Also confirmed it is broken on my Jessie pi too.

[Linux-Maverick]

Hmm. I get the same results from the new file. Grep still reveals references to strtonum in the script (in GITHUB_API_LIMITED=), but it is definitely the one that I just retrieved from your URL above.

[popcornmix]

Ah download again and run with:

sudo UDATE_SELF=0 rpi-update

otherwise it will overwrite your changed version.

[Linux-Maverick]

Ran it with the same results, then saw the typo and re-ran: UPDATE_SELF=0 rpi-update Seems to be working as we speak! Thank you for getting on this so quickly, popcornmix!!!

[popcornmix]

Thanks for testing. I've pushed, so now rpi-update should be fixed with mawk.

[Linux-Maverick]

As a final note, the arguments for wget above didn't work exactly for me. I ended up just doing a wget on your file URL to my local home directory, changed the file name, saved copies of both the original file and the new one, then moved the new one to /usr/bin. The update ran flawlessly, and the pi rebooted and came up with the new kernel just fine. Thanks again!

[popcornmix]

As a final note, the arguments for wget above didn't work exactly for me.

Ah yes, I've edited the post to fix the quoting.

[Steltek]

Can confirm, after manually pulling the new update, it's back to working order.

[popcornmix]

@steffanson are you up and running? Okay to close?

[steffanson]

@popcornmix Yes, I could solve it for myself by installing awk again. Okay to close!

[Atomixcl]

Hello: getting this error: "awk: line 2: function strftime never defined". Package awk is a virtual package provided by: original-awk:i386 2012-12-20-5 original-awk 2012-12-20-5 mawk:i386 1.3.3-17ubuntu2 gawk:i386 1:4.1.3+dfsg-0.1 mawk 1.3.3-17ubuntu2 gawk 1:4.1.3+dfsg-0.1 You should explicitly select one to install.

sudo apt install gawk, then:

date +"%s" | awk '{ print strftime("%d/%m/%Y %H:%M:%S",$1)}' 07/06/2018 12:16:19

Ubuntu 16.04, up to date.

[popcornmix]

Are you running rpi-update on Ubuntu? Are you saying you still have the issue after installing gawk? What does awk --version report? Can you show complete output of running rpi-update?

[Atomixcl]

Sorry, I wasn't explicit enough. I got the problem for strftime, and I solved it installing gawk (following the same instruction above). Then the command estar working: date +"%s" | awk '{ print strftime("%d/%m/%Y %H:%M:%S",$1)}' 07/06/2018 12:16:19

Done at Ubuntu 16.04, with packages Up to date.

Sorry, popcornmix for the inconvenience. Thanks for the previous post, save me a lot of time.