Zypper dup, installation has completed with an error, couldn't download file, fixed by zypper refresh

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#1

I recently ran zypper dup to update my system, and there was one package that just wouldn’t download, so I hit “i” to ignore. All the other files downloaded okay, but then zypper would not continue with the installation, said “installation has completed with an error”. So, then I tried updating the system using Discover, and Discover failed too because it couldn’t download that file. Something about libmpeg2convert. Thing is, when I went to look in Discover for that installed file, to possibly remove it, it didn’t show up in the list of installed files - frustrating and annoying!

After looking at 45 Zypper Commands to Manage 'Suse' Linux Package Management
I saw that there was a “zypper refresh” command, and so it did something with refreshing the VLC repositories, and then when I ran “zypper dup” again, the problem file was downloaded and the process was able to carry on and complete, just in case anyone cares to know. :slight_smile:

#2

Do you have witched off automatic refresh for some repos?

Refresh should take place automatically when the last refresh was done more then a certain timespan ago (at the most some hours, but I think even less by default). Thus in by far the majority of cases a separate zypper ref is not needed (although I see many do this before almost every zypper command they execute, when not needed, it does not hurt).

Except of course when the automatic refresh is switched off :wink: .

#3

I just use whatever options zypper came with. It’s something with zypper that should be fixed, that when it can’t download a file, try refreshing the repos and try that file(s) again. I didn’t turn on or off automatic refreshing.

What I’d like to learn is how to make zypper download all the files first and then do an offline install.

#4

You can increase the retries count from the default:

# grep silent zypp.conf
 download.max_silent_tries = 8
#

0 will cause there to be no limit. 5 is default.

#5

If you really want to learn (as opposed to getting ready answer from someone on this forum) - start with man zypper.

#6

You provided zero information for anyone to troubleshoot what happened. Refresh is per-repository and you did not show your repository settings.

if refresh is not enabled for a particular repository or even globally, why should zypper ignore that administrator decision?

#7

In short the recommendations above can be token together in two advises:

start studying

man zypper

and post (as root):

zypper lr -d
#8

User experiencing issues with zypper dist-upgrade may always want to run zypper refresh --force as a sanity check:

3400g:~ # time zypper refresh --force
Forcing raw metadata refresh
Retrieving repository 'Packman' metadata .............................................................................................................................................................................................[done]
Forcing building of repository cache
Building repository 'Packman' cache ..................................................................................................................................................................................................[done]
Forcing raw metadata refresh
Retrieving repository 'jalbum' metadata ..............................................................................................................................................................................................[done]
Forcing building of repository cache
Building repository 'jalbum' cache ...................................................................................................................................................................................................[done]
Forcing raw metadata refresh
Retrieving repository 'openSUSE-Tumbleweed-Non-Oss' metadata .........................................................................................................................................................................[done]
Forcing building of repository cache
Building repository 'openSUSE-Tumbleweed-Non-Oss' cache ..............................................................................................................................................................................[done]
Forcing raw metadata refresh
Retrieving repository 'openSUSE-Tumbleweed-Oss' metadata .............................................................................................................................................................................[done]
Forcing building of repository cache
Building repository 'openSUSE-Tumbleweed-Oss' cache ..................................................................................................................................................................................[done]
Forcing raw metadata refresh
Retrieving repository 'openSUSE-Tumbleweed-Update' metadata ..........................................................................................................................................................................[done]
Forcing building of repository cache
Building repository 'openSUSE-Tumbleweed-Update' cache ...............................................................................................................................................................................[done]
All repositories have been refreshed.

real    0m8.614s
user    0m4.590s
sys     0m0.469s
3400g:~ #

According to speedtest download speed is poor 7.27 Mbit/s, but the refresh executes in real 0m8.614s which is appropriate for duping the system.

In case of long refresh times users may want to postpone duping and try again after a few hours.