Active "multiversion" causes SP migration to report "problem with installed package kernel"

This document (7015547) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 Service Pack 3 (SLES 11 SP3)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 Service Pack 3 (SLED 11 SP3)

Situation

If you have "multiversion" activated in your "/etc/zypp/zypp.conf" the migration to the new Service Pack (tested with SP2 to SP3) using "zypper" will report something like:

sles11sp2:~ # zypper dup --from SLES11-SP3-Pool --from SLES11-SP3-Updates
Loading repository data...
Reading installed packages...
Computing distribution upgrade...
4 Problems:
Problem: problem with installed package kernel-default-3.0.101-0.7.19.1.x86_64
Problem: problem with installed package kernel-default-base-3.0.101-0.7.19.1.x86_64
Problem: problem with installed package kernel-default-devel-3.0.101-0.7.19.1.x86_64
Problem: problem with installed package kernel-source-3.0.101-0.7.19.1.x86_64

Problem: problem with installed package kernel-default-3.0.101-0.7.19.1.x86_64
Solution 1: Following actions will be done:
replacement of kernel-default-3.0.101-0.7.19.1.x86_64 with kernel-default-3.0.101-0.35.1.x86_64
deinstallation of kernel-default-3.0.101-0.7.19.1.x86_64
Solution 2: keep obsolete kernel-default-3.0.101-0.7.19.1.x86_64

Choose from above solutions by number or skip, retry or cancel [1/2/s/r/c] (c):

Resolution

Since the Service Pack migration is a "one way" route, you will have to update the kernel to make this work.

The error disappears if you disable "multiversion" in the "/etc/zypp/zypp.conf":

cat /etc/zypp/zypp.conf | grep multiversion

Make sure the lines:

multiversion = provides:multiversion(kernel)
multiversion.kernels = latest,running

are quoted out:

#multiversion = provides:multiversion(kernel)
#multiversion.kernels = latest,running

The error message will be gone afterwards.

You can turn on the multiversion again once the SP migration has finished.

Cause

Disclaimer

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