Arch Linux: failed to load module `zsh/computil’

If you’ve recently updated zsh and used tab auto-complete you’re getting the following error message.

➜  zsh  cd 
_tags:36: failed to load module `zsh/computil': /usr/lib/zsh/4.3.15/zsh/computil.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
_tags:51: failed to load module `zsh/computil': /usr/lib/zsh/4.3.15/zsh/computil.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
_tags:51: command not found: comptry
_tags:51: command not found: comptry
_tags:55: command not found: comptry
_tags:60: command not found: comptags
_tags:67: command not found: comptags
_tags:36: command not found: comptags
_tags:51: command not found: comptry
_tags:51: command not found: comptry
_tags:51: command not found: comptry
_tags:55: command not found: comptry
_tags:60: command not found: comptags
_tags:67: command not found: comptags
_tags:36: command not found: comptags
_tags:51: command not found: comptry
_tags:51: command not found: comptry
_tags:51: command not found: comptry
_tags:55: command not found: comptry
_tags:60: command not found: comptags
_tags:67: command not found: comptags

This can be an indication for a system intrusion. A hacker cracker might have found a workaround for pacman’s signature system who probably did a man-in-the-middle attack by providing you a modified version of zsh which breaks your entire system and is now under control of this hacker cracker.

!! You definitely must reinstall Arch Linux !!

If you don’t, this hacker cracker can do very evil things by using your IP which identifies you if your computer is connected to the internet. Less evil things could be abuse of your IP for spam purpose. The most evil thing he could do is providing the internet with ch**d p*rn. For government agencies it looks like you provided it and it’s you who will be charged with it.

If you’re sure there was no hacker cracker involved, then the reason might be that the zsh version changed. The library moved from

/usr/lib/zsh/4.3.15/zsh/computil.so

to

/usr/lib/zsh/4.3.16/zsh/computil.so

but your current terminal window thinks it’s still in the old place. This can easily be fixed by opening a new terminal window.