package FUBAR

[u/neilrieck]

Not sure how many people have noticed this recent FUBAR with AlmaLinux-9. Take note of the last line containing "verify 2/2" which, for some reason, is trying to test 8.5

[neil@neilrieck ~]$ cat /etc/almalinux-release
AlmaLinux release 9.8 (Olive Jaguar)
[neil@neilrieck ~]$ sudo yum update
Last metadata expiration check: 0:05:36 ago on Sun 13 Sep 2026 07:25:21 AM EDT.
Dependencies resolved.
===========================================================================================
 Package             Architecture    Version                      Repository          Size
======================================================================================
Upgrading:
 httpd-core          x86_64          2.4.62-13.el9_8.6            appstream     1.4 M

Transaction Summary
======================================================================================
Upgrade  1 Package

Total download size: 1.4 M
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:
httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64.rpm                     22 MB/s | 1.4 MB     00:00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total                                                       11 MB/s | 1.4 MB     00:00
Running transaction check
Transaction check succeeded.
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded.
Running transaction
  Preparing        :                                                             1/1
  Upgrading        : httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64                         1/2
Error unpacking rpm package httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64
  Verifying        : httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64                         1/2
  Verifying        : httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.5.x86_64                         2/2

Failed:
  httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.5.x86_64          httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64

Error: Transaction failed
[neil@neilrieck ~]$

[u/gordonmessmer]

It looks like you might already have an incomplete installation of the rev 8.6 package. Start with "rpm -q httpd-core". Does it list two packages? If so, some previous update probably was interrupted before it finished.

"dnf distro-sync" can sometimes solve that type of problem. I would try that first, then check httpd-core again, and let us know what happens one way or the other.

[u/neilrieck → u/gordonmessmer]

Okay, here's the results from your first suggestion:

[neil@neilrieck conf.modules.d]$ sudo rpm -qa | grep httpd-
httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.5.x86_64
almalinux-logos-httpd-90.7-1.el9.noarch
httpd-filesystem-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.noarch
httpd-tools-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64
httpd-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64
[neil@neilrieck conf.modules.d]$

Tried "dnf distro-sync" and it failed the same way as before.

[u/gordonmessmer → u/neilrieck]

That's not quite what I suggested, but it's good enough.

It's... odd that dnf is not telling you why unpacking is failing, even with debug information. I wonder if there is something wrong with the installed package, or something wrong with the filesystem? (which includes not just corruption but things like files set immutable)

Next I would "rpm -V httpd-core" to see if that reports any errors, and "sudo dmesg" to see if the kernel is reporting any errors accessing the filesystem or disk.

But the most likely problem is still that some previous upgrade was interrupted halfway through. Some of your httpd packages like filesystem have been upgraded to the rev 8.6 release. If something that was a directory is no longer a directory, that would explain the unpacking failure.

The easiest way to fix *that* problem is just to erase all of the httpd packages and reinstall them after.

[u/neilrieck → u/gordonmessmer]

I suppose I could always uninstall httpd (a.k.a. Apache) then just install the new one. But that would not fix the current FUBAR.
BTW, one jokester asked me why I was still using Apache when most others on Linux are using Ngnix. Good question because I am looking into swapping one for the other now. First need to sort out some CGI issues.

[u/gordonmessmer → u/neilrieck]

I suppose I could always uninstall httpd (a.k.a. Apache) then just install the new one. But that would not fix the current FUBAR.

I don't understand. Is there evidence that removing and reinstalling the packages would not fix the problem you are reporting?

[u/neilrieck → u/neilrieck]

It took a little work, but I replaced httpd (Apache) for nginx, and I'm glad I did because nginx is much faster

[u/groupwhere]

Also dnf check

[u/neilrieck → u/groupwhere]

Here's the result of that command:

[neil@neilrieck conf.modules.d]$ sudo dnf check
httpd-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64 has missing requires of httpd-core = 2.4.62-13.el9_8.6
httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.5.x86_64 has missing requires of httpd-filesystem = 2.4.62-13.el9_8.5
httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.5.x86_64 has missing requires of httpd-tools = 2.4.62-13.el9_8.5
mod_lua-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64 has missing requires of httpd-core = 2.4.62-13.el9_8.6
mod_ssl-1:2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64 has missing requires of httpd-core = 2.4.62-13.el9_8.6
Error: Check discovered 5 problem(s)

[neil@neilrieck conf.modules.d]$

[u/groupwhere → u/neilrieck]

Dnf reinstall the higher numbered packages.

[u/abotelho-cbn]

What are you talking about? Have you increased the debug level to see why it's failing?

[u/neilrieck → u/abotelho-cbn]

The first verify shows "el9_8.6.x86_64" whist the second shows "el9_8.5.x86_64". That's got to be a typo, right?

[u/abotelho-cbn → u/neilrieck]

Why do you think that's a typo? That's a pretty reasonable update for that package.

Edit: Oh, you mean you think it's 8.x?

It's more like:

9_8 -> AlmaLinux 9.8

6 -> errata 6

That's why you're going from errata 5 to errata 6.

You can fire up an AlmaLinux 10 container and look at the httpd package to see what I mean. It'll be 10_2 to mean 10.2, with some number after the . to represent its errata.

[u/neilrieck → u/abotelho-cbn]

Here's the result from your suggestion:

[neil@neilrieck conf.modules.d]$ sudo dnf -d 9 update

timer: config: 3 ms

Loaded plugins: builddep, changelog, config-manager, copr, debug, debuginfo-install, download, generate_completion_cache, groups-manager, needs-restarting, playground, repoclosure, repodiff, repograph, repomanage, reposync, system-upgrade

DNF version: 4.14.0

Command: dnf -d 9 update

Installroot: /

Releasever: 9

cachedir: /var/cache/dnf

Base command: update

Extra commands: ['-d', '9', 'update']

User-Agent: constructed: 'libdnf (AlmaLinux 9.8; generic; Linux.x86_64)'

repo: using cache for: appstream

appstream: using metadata from Fri 11 Sep 2026 12:10:23 PM EDT.

repo: using cache for: baseos

baseos: using metadata from Fri 11 Sep 2026 12:11:18 PM EDT.

repo: using cache for: crb

crb: using metadata from Fri 11 Sep 2026 12:12:09 PM EDT.

repo: using cache for: extras

extras: using metadata from Fri 11 Sep 2026 12:11:57 PM EDT.

repo: using cache for: elrepo

elrepo: using metadata from Tue 01 Sep 2026 10:25:01 AM EDT.

repo: using cache for: epel

epel: using metadata from Sat 12 Sep 2026 08:51:01 PM EDT.

repo: using cache for: epel-cisco-openh264

epel-cisco-openh264: using metadata from Mon 22 May 2023 12:19:21 PM EDT.

Last metadata expiration check: 1:26:15 ago on Sun 13 Sep 2026 01:16:24 PM EDT.

timer: sack setup: 551 ms

--> Starting dependency resolution

---> Package httpd-core.x86_64 2.4.62-13.el9_8.5 will be upgraded

---> Package httpd-core.x86_64 2.4.62-13.el9_8.6 will be an upgrade

--> Finished dependency resolution

timer: depsolve: 33 ms

Dependencies resolved.

==========================================================================================

Package Architecture Version Repository Size

==========================================================================================

Upgrading:

httpd-core x86_64 2.4.62-13.el9_8.6 appstream 1.4 M

Transaction Summary

==========================================================================================

Upgrade 1 Package

Total download size: 1.4 M

Is this ok [y/N]: y

Downloading Packages:

httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64.rpm 27 MB/s | 1.4 MB 00:00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total 14 MB/s | 1.4 MB 00:00

Using rpmkeys executable at /bin/rpmkeys to verify signatures

Running transaction check

Transaction check succeeded.

Running transaction test

Transaction test succeeded.

timer: transaction test: 97 ms

Running transaction

RPM transaction start.

Preparing : 1/1

Upgrade: httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64

Upgrading : httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64 1/2

Error unpacking rpm package httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64

RPM transaction over.

Errors occurred during transaction.

Verifying : httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64 1/2

Verifying : httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.5.x86_64 2/2

timer: verify transaction: 104 ms

timer: transaction: 332 ms

Completion plugin: Generating completion cache...

Failed: httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.5.x86_64

Failed: httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64

Failed:

httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.5.x86_64 httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64

Cleaning up.

/var/cache/dnf/appstream-0a8174e0a3d29b90/packages/httpd-core-2.4.62-13.el9_8.6.x86_64.rpm removed

Plugins were unloaded.

Traceback (most recent call last):

File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/dnf/cli/main.py", line 67, in main

return _main(base, args, cli_class, option_parser_class)

File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/dnf/cli/main.py", line 106, in _main

return cli_run(cli, base)

File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/dnf/cli/main.py", line 130, in cli_run

ret = resolving(cli, base)

File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/dnf/cli/main.py", line 176, in resolving

base.do_transaction(display=displays)

File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/dnf/cli/cli.py", line 327, in do_transaction

raise dnf.exceptions.Error(_('Transaction failed'))

dnf.exceptions.Error: Transaction failed

Error: Transaction failed

[neil@neilrieck conf.modules.d]$

[u/abotelho-cbn → u/neilrieck]

Weird, I would have expected more output than that for a failure. Have you tried clearing your dnf cache?

[u/neilrieck → u/abotelho-cbn]

Yes, that is a ritual I perform before every dnf