This is not supposed to be the "proper" way, but this is what I use if the database I am using for developement has been foobared.  Use psql (or PgAdmin III) to access the database, open the ir_module_module table, then change the value of the state field of the module you want to change.  The values are: 'uninstalled', 'to install', 'installed', 'to upgrade', 'to remove'.

You must be very careful so that it does not make the database more foobared:

• never make modules that are 'uninstalled' to be 'installed' or 'to upgrade'.  Always make it 'to install' so that it is installed properly during the next refresh.
• never make 'installed' module to be 'uninstalled'.  Always try to go through 'to remove' state first so that it is uninstalled properly
• never delete any record.  Do it from the UI once it is up.

You can update modules when web page is not accesible with a psql command.
 

sudo su postgres
psql -d database_name
UPDATE ir_module_module SET state = 'to upgrade' where name = 'module_name';

Dear Stephen & Ivan,

Thank you!

Pardon me that I couldn't leave comment right below your answers due to shortage of karma.

Regards,

Kibong

There are some manual ways but have a look at my pull request:

https://github.com/odoo/odoo/pull/12373

(If a patch link can help: https://patch-diff.githubusercontent.com/raw/odoo/odoo/pull/12373.patch)

And my stackoverflow answer:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21485630/how-to-uninstall-manually-openerp-module#answer-41760541

The pull request has been there for a long time but they dont have time. ;)

A Video of how it is helpful:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jtmDM0wfFQ

Thanks for the above advice

I have tried the command above but I get the error CRITICAL <database> openerp.service.server: Failed to initialize the database. What else can I try?

Below is the error:

odoo@ubuntu:~/addons/website_report$ /opt/odoo/odoo.py -d MMC_Live -u website_report -c /etc/odoo-server.conf

ERROR: couldn't create the logfile directory. Logging to the standard output.

2015-07-14 12:39:49,424 1995 INFO ? openerp: OpenERP version 8.0

2015-07-14 12:39:49,425 1995 INFO ? openerp: addons paths: ['/opt/odoo/.local/share/Odoo/addons/8.0', u'/opt/odoo/addons', '/opt/odoo/openerp/addons']

2015-07-14 12:39:49,425 1995 INFO ? openerp: database hostname: localhost

2015-07-14 12:39:49,425 1995 INFO ? openerp: database port: 5432

2015-07-14 12:39:49,425 1995 INFO ? openerp: database user: odoo

2015-07-14 12:39:49,641 1995 INFO ? openerp.service.server: HTTP service (werkzeug) running on 0.0.0.0:8069

2015-07-14 12:39:49,663 1995 INFO MMC_Live openerp.modules.loading: loading 1 modules...

2015-07-14 12:39:49,902 1995 INFO MMC_Live openerp.modules.loading: 1 modules loaded in 0.24s, 0 queries

2015-07-14 12:39:52,791 1995 CRITICAL MMC_Live openerp.service.server: Failed to initialize database `MMC_Live`.

Traceback (most recent call last):

File "/opt/odoo/openerp/service/server.py", line 909, in preload_registries

registry = RegistryManager.new(dbname, update_module=update_module)

File "/opt/odoo/openerp/modules/registry.py", line 366, in new

openerp.modules.load_modules(registry._db, force_demo, status, update_module)

File "/opt/odoo/openerp/modules/loading.py", line 326, in load_modules

modobj.button_upgrade(cr, SUPERUSER_ID, ids)

File "/opt/odoo/openerp/api.py", line 241, in wrapper

return old_api(self, *args, **kwargs)

File "/opt/odoo/openerp/addons/base/module/module.py", line 542, in button_upgrade

self.update_list(cr, uid)

File "/opt/odoo/openerp/api.py", line 241, in wrapper

return old_api(self, *args, **kwargs)

File "/opt/odoo/openerp/addons/base/module/module.py", line 654, in update_list

handler.load_addons()

File "/opt/odoo/openerp/http.py", line 1298, in load_addons

m = __import__('openerp.addons.' + module)

File "/opt/odoo/openerp/modules/module.py", line 80, in load_module

mod = imp.load_module('openerp.addons.' + module_part, f, path, descr)

File "/opt/odoo/.local/share/Odoo/addons/8.0/auto_backup/__init__.py", line 23, in <module>

import backup_scheduler

File "/opt/odoo/.local/share/Odoo/addons/8.0/auto_backup/backup_scheduler.py", line 33, in <module>

raise ImportError('This module needs pysftp to automaticly write backups to the FTP through SFTP. Please install pysftp on your system. (sudo pip install pysftp)')

ImportError: This module needs pysftp to automaticly write backups to the FTP through SFTP. Please install pysftp on your system. (sudo pip install pysftp)

^C2015-07-14 12:40:01,877 1995 INFO MMC_Live openerp.service.server: Initiating shutdown

2015-07-14 12:40:01,877 1995 INFO MMC_Live openerp.service.server: Hit CTRL-C again or send a second signal to force the shutdown.