zypper wants to downgrade kernel

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

Hi folks,
a few days ago I’ve run a zypper upgrade and my kernel packages switched to Tumbleweed repos and have upgraded.
Then, since the next time I’ve tried to upgrade my system again, I receive this output:

Warning: You are about to do a distribution upgrade with all enabled repositories. Make sure these repositories are compatible before you continue. See 'man zypper' for more information about this command.
Loading repository data...
Reading installed packages...
Computing distribution upgrade...

The following packages are going to be upgraded:
  docbook-xsl-stylesheets dolphin fileshareset gstreamer-0_10-fluendo-mp3 k3b kdebase3 kdebase3-apps kdebase3-nsplugin kdebase3-runtime kdebase4-libkonq kdebase4-nsplugin kdepasswd kdialog 
  keditbookmarks kfind konqueror konqueror-plugins libjasper1 libjasper1-32bit libkonq5 misc-console-font NetworkManager-kde4-libs NetworkManager-openvpn-kde4 NetworkManager-pptp-kde4 
  NetworkManager-vpnc-kde4 okular plasmoid-folderview plasmoid-networkmanagement polkit-kde-agent-1 postfix vim vim-base vim-data 

The following packages are going to be downgraded:
  kernel-default-devel kernel-desktop kernel-desktop-devel kernel-devel kernel-firmware kernel-source kernel-syms kernel-xen-devel 

The following packages are going to change vendor:
  gstreamer-0_10-fluendo-mp3  http://packman.links2linux.de -> openSUSE               
  k3b                         http://packman.links2linux.de -> openSUSE               
  kernel-default-devel        obs://build.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Tumbleweed -> openSUSE
  kernel-desktop              obs://build.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Tumbleweed -> openSUSE
  kernel-desktop-devel        obs://build.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Tumbleweed -> openSUSE
  kernel-devel                obs://build.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Tumbleweed -> openSUSE
  kernel-firmware             obs://build.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Tumbleweed -> openSUSE
  kernel-source               obs://build.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Tumbleweed -> openSUSE
  kernel-syms                 obs://build.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Tumbleweed -> openSUSE
  kernel-xen-devel            obs://build.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Tumbleweed -> openSUSE


33 packages to upgrade, 8 to downgrade, 10  to change vendor.
Overall download size: 171.1 MiB. After the operation, 2.2 MiB will be freed.
Continue? [y/n/?] (y):

So zypper wants to downgrade the kernel (and some other packages) to previous version. Why? How can I fix that?

My repos are:

fra@fra-notebook:~$ zypper repos -d
# | Alias             | Name                     | Enabled | Refresh | Priority | Type   | URI                                                                      | Service
--+-------------------+--------------------------+---------+---------+----------+--------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+--------
1 | Tumbleweed        | Tumbleweed               | Yes     | Yes     |   99     | rpm-md | http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/openSUSE:/Tumbleweed/standard/ |        
2 | google-talkplugin | google-talkplugin        | Yes     | Yes     |   99     | rpm-md | http://dl.google.com/linux/talkplugin/rpm/stable/x86_64                  |        
3 | packman           | packman                  | Yes     | Yes     |   99     | rpm-md | http://packman.inode.at/suse/openSUSE_Tumbleweed                         |        
4 | repo-non-oss      | openSUSE-Current-Non-Oss | Yes     | Yes     |   99     | yast2  | http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/openSUSE-current/repo/non-oss/ |        
5 | repo-oss          | openSUSE-Current-Oss     | Yes     | Yes     |   99     | yast2  | http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/openSUSE-current/repo/oss/     |        
6 | repo-update       | openSUSE-Current-Update  | Yes     | Yes     |   99     | rpm-md | http://download.opensuse.org/update/openSUSE-current/                    |        
7 | science           | science                  | Yes     | Yes     |   99     | rpm-md | http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/science/openSUSE_Tumbleweed/   |

Thanks to anyhow who is able to help! :slight_smile:

#2

See post #45 and the reply #47 in another tumbleweed thread. You may have caught a kernel upgrade that was since removed. If so, you can go ahead with the zypper dup or wait for another kernel upgrade to arrive in tumbleweed repo.

#3

yeah thanks!
I’ve also catched the 3.1.4 kernel update. I think I will downgrade for now then so that I can do all the other updates, and then upgrade again if it is put again in Tumbleweed repo.

Thank you for pointing me at the right resource! :slight_smile:

#4

@frasmog, you’re welome. :slight_smile:

BTW, you provided useful info in your original post, and that downgrade sounds ok to me. Post back here if any further issues/questions result from that.

#5

Hello,

Would they be able to “lock” (if that’s the correct term) the kernel packages installed which will be downgraded, refresh, then do zypper dup? Wouldn’t that then amend the resulting changes accordingly. I realise they may not then get other updates, but would this be ok to do?

I’m running 3.1.7-1.2-desktop so expect to get this dilema at some stage :slight_smile:

#6

Package locks can be applied [to any package] using YaST>Software Management, or zypper addlock (using commandline), and removed as necessary. Packages with an active lock can’t change their installed status, so I wouldn’t expect zypper dup to upgrade/downgrade/remove those locked packages. I haven’t knowingly used zypper dup with any packages actually locked, but it should work. Just make sure you lock all the appropriate kernel packages.

BTW, a benefit of Tumbleweed is that it delivers a known-to-be-stable kernel and all its other packages (stable or not) are tested against that kernel. The Tumbleweed kernel upgrades have been remarkably stable both during its 11.4 phase and before that. I don’t normally see the point of installing a newer and potentially unstable kernel onto Tumbleweed. One can always do that on the standard release which might provide a more stable baseline for testing. :slight_smile: