INFORMATICS

Error Translation:

Error: Problem: cannot install the best update candidate for package remi-release-8.3-1.el8.remi.noarch - nothing provides redhat-release >= 8.10 needed by remi-release-8.10-2.el8.remi.noarch (adding "--skip-broken" will skip uninstallable packages, or "--nobest" will use not only the best candidates)

Explanation and Solution Translation:

The error you encountered during yum update indicates an issue with the REMI repository, which is attempting to update the remi-release package to version 8.10-2.el8.remi.noarch. This version requires the dependency redhat-release >= 8.10, which is not available on your CentOS 8 system. This is a common issue when an external repository (e.g., REMI) expects a newer system version that is not available in CentOS 8, especially after its End of Life (EOL) in December 2021.

Below are the steps to resolve this issue:

Causes of the Error

1. CentOS 8 EOL: CentOS 8 no longer receives updates, and its repositories have been moved to vault.centos.org. Newer package versions from the REMI repository may require dependencies unavailable in CentOS 8's archived repositories.
2. Version Mismatch of remi-release: The package remi-release-8.10-2.el8.remi.noarch is designed for a newer system version (e.g., CentOS Stream 8 or RHEL 8.10), which your system does not meet.
3. Conflicting Repositories: If you have additional repositories enabled, they may cause conflicts.

Solutions

Option 1: Use --nobest or --skip-broken

As suggested by the error message, you can use the --nobest or --skip-broken options to bypass problematic packages:

• Try with --nobest:
  bash

   

  sudo yum update --nobest -y

   

   
  The --nobest option allows installing non-latest package versions, which may bypass dependency issues.
• Try with --skip-broken:
  bash

   

  sudo yum update --skip-broken -y

   

   
  The --skip-broken option skips packages that cannot be installed due to missing dependencies.

Note: These options are temporary workarounds, as they may leave your system with outdated or skipped packages.

Option 2: Disable the REMI Repository

If you don’t need packages from the REMI repository, you can temporarily disable it during updates:

• Disable the REMI repository:
  bash

   

  sudo yum update --disablerepo=remi -y

   

   
  This allows updating the system without considering the REMI repository.
• Check enabled repositories:
  bash

   

  yum repolist

   

   
  Ensure CentOS repositories (e.g., baseos, appstream) point to vault.centos.org.

Option 3: Manually Install an Older Version of remi-release

If you need the REMI repository, you can install an older, CentOS 8-compatible version of the remi-release package:

• Remove the problematic version:
  bash

   

  sudo yum remove remi-release

   

   
• Download and install an older version of remi-release: For example, remi-release-8.3-1.el8.remi.noarch.rpm:
  bash

   

  wget https://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/8/remi/x86_64/remi-release-8.3-1.el8.remi.noarch.rpm

  sudo rpm -Uvh remi-release-8.3-1.el8.remi.noarch.rpm

   

   
• Clear the YUM cache:
  bash

   

  sudo yum clean all

  sudo rm -rf /var/cache/yum/*

   

   
• Try updating again:
  bash

   

  sudo yum update -y

   

   

Option 4: Migrate to CentOS Stream 8

Since CentOS 8 is no longer supported, the REMI repository may require a newer system version, such as CentOS Stream 8, which still receives updates. Consider migrating:

• Migrate to CentOS Stream:
  bash

   

  sudo dnf install centos-release-stream

  sudo dnf swap centos-linux-repos centos-stream-repos

  sudo dnf distro-sync -y

   

   

Note: Migrating to CentOS Stream converts the system to a rolling release model, which may affect stability in production environments.

• Update the system after migration:
  bash

   

  sudo dnf update -y

   

   

Option 5: Manually Edit Repository Files

If the issue stems from conflicts in the REMI repository configuration, you can manually adjust it:

• Open the REMI repository file:
  bash

   

  sudo nano /etc/yum.repos.d/remi.repo

   

   
• Ensure the repository points to the correct version: Verify that the baseurl in the [remi] or [remi-safe] section points to the appropriate CentOS 8 version, e.g.:
  ini

   

  [remi]

  name=Remi's RPM repository for Enterprise Linux 8

  baseurl=https://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/8/remi/$basearch/

  enabled=1

  gpgcheck=1

  gpgkey=https://rpms.remirepo.net/RPM-GPG-KEY-remi

   

   
• Save changes and clear the cache:
  bash

   

  sudo yum clean all

  sudo yum update -y

   

   

Additional Notes

• Backup: Before making changes, back up your system or at least the /etc/yum.repos.d/ directory:
  bash

   

  sudo cp -r /etc/yum.repos.d /etc/yum.repos.d.bak

   

   
• Check DNS: Ensure your server can resolve domain names (e.g., rpms.remirepo.net):
  bash

   

  ping rpms.remirepo.net

   

   
  If it fails, add DNS servers to /etc/resolv.conf:
  ini

   

  nameserver 8.8.8.8

  nameserver 8.8.4.4

   

   
• Alternative to CentOS 8: Due to CentOS 8’s EOL, consider switching to Rocky Linux or AlmaLinux, which are fully compatible with RHEL 8 and community-supported.

Verification

After applying one of the solutions, verify if the update works:

If the error persists, provide the contents of /etc/yum.repos.d/remi.repo or the exact error message, and I’ll help analyze it further.