Yum repository not working in Fedora 16

Hi,

while installing/updating package using yum I am getting (repomd.xml) error

[root@mindlanf-5 yum.repos.d]# yum list
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit
http://mirror.cse.iitk.ac.in/fedora-archive/fedora/linux/fedora/linux/releases/16/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/repomd.xml: [Errno 14] HTTP Error 404 - Not Found : http://mirror.cse.iitk.ac.in/fedora-archive/fedora/linux/fedora/linux/releases/16/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/repomd.xml
Trying other mirror.
http://mirror.cse.iitk.ac.in/fedora-archive/fedora/linux/fedora/linux/releases/16/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/repomd.xml: [Errno 14] HTTP Error 404 - Not Found : http://mirror.cse.iitk.ac.in/fedora-archive/fedora/linux/fedora/linux/releases/16/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/repomd.xml
Trying other mirror.
Error: Cannot retrieve repository metadata (repomd.xml) for repository: fedora. Please verify its path and try again
[root@mindlanf-5 yum.repos.d]#

I tried yum clean all but still its not not working, please let me know the possible solution for this.

Regards,
Muzaffar

Hi,

In this case that error appears to be genuine - the mirror that you have configured doesn't have any content for Fedora 16 on it.

Now, Fedora 16 is an end-of-life unsupported release, so it's entirely possible some mirrors aren't carrying content for it any longer. It's also worth pointing out that if you're trying to install updates, there won't have been any in the main repo since February 2013 (since that's when it became unsupported), so that's a pointless exercise anyway.

However, if you absolutely have to fix this (to install a new package, say), you'll need to re-configure your Fedora yum repo to point somewhere that still has content. The (allegedly) current list of mirrors for Fedora 16 x86_64 can be found here:

Mirrors - MirrorManager

Thanks for your reply, I dint find a proper mirror list from that link. is there any other way to make my Fedora 16 to resolve the yum issue. I need to configure Lanforge testing tool on this. let me know how to make it working or any other version which might work without any issues

Thanks,
Muzaffar

Hi,

As best as I can tell, that mirror list is correct. It's just that some/most of those mirrors won't actually be carrying content for Fedora 16 any longer. You'd have to go through each of them, find one that actually works and has all the relevant folders/content still there, then update your Yum repo file to directly use that one.

For example, ftp.heanet.ie seems to have all the Fedora 16 content still. The main packages can be found here:

http://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/fedora/archive/fedora/linux/releases/16/Fedora/x86_64/os/Packages/

However, that brings us on to the second issue. You say you want to install LANforge. That was never a standard part of Fedora, and is not part of the Fedora 16 main OS repo (or the repo of any other release of Fedora, as best as I can tell). No doubt it has various pre-requisites that you'll need from the main Fedora repo (or so I imagine: I've never heard of or dealt with LANforge before, so my only knowledge of it comes from a quick Google search just now). But LANforge itself won't be directly installable via yum from the official Fedora repos, even when you do get them working again.

I have added the below link in my .repo file found the same issue again. Let me know if am doing correct

[fedora]
name=Fedora $releasever - $basearch
failovermethod=priority
baseurl=http://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/fedora/archive/fedora/linux/releases/16/Fedora/x86_64/os/Packages/
#baseurl=http://mirror.cse.iitk.ac.in/fedora-archive/fedora/linux/fedora/linux/releases/16/Everything/x86_64/os/
mirrorlist=https://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/metalink?repo=fedora-$releasever&arch=$basearch
enabled=1
metadata_expire=7d
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-$basearch

[fedora-debuginfo]
name=Fedora $releasever - $basearch - Debug
failovermethod=priority
baseurl=http://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/fedora/archive/fedora/linux/releases/16/Fedora/x86_64/os/Packages/
#baseurl=http://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/$releasever/Everything/$basearch/debug/
mirrorlist=https://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/metalink?repo=fedora-debug-$releasever&arch=$basearch
enabled=0
metadata_expire=7d
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-$basearch

[fedora-source]
name=Fedora $releasever - Source
failovermethod=priority
baseurl=http://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/fedora/archive/fedora/linux/releases/16/Fedora/x86_64/os/Packages/
#baseurl=http://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/$releasever/Everything/source/SRPMS/
mirrorlist=https://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/metalink?repo=fedora-source-$releasever&arch=$basearch
enabled=0
metadata_expire=7d
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-$basearch

did yum clean up again and try to list the repo and failed again.

[root@mindlanf-5 ~]# yum clean all
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit
Cleaning repos: fedora
Cleaning up Everything
No delta-package files removed by presto
[root@mindlanf-5 ~]# yum list
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit
Error: Cannot retrieve repository metadata (repomd.xml) for repository: fedora. Please verify its path and try again
[root@mindlanf-5 ~]# 

if Fedora 16 is end of life then suggest me which version will have all the repo list

Thanks
Muzaffar

Hi,

I don't think you've quite done that right, no. For starters, each section will need a different baseurl since each section is used for different things, so you can't use the same URL for everything. Also if you are going to be hard-coding it like this, you'll also want to comment out the mirrorlist lines.

So for example, for the main [fedora] section, I imagine you want something like this:

baseurl=http://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/fedora/archive/fedora/linux/releases/16/Everything/x86_64/os/

since that's apparently the URL that it was looking for before you made this modification, going by the other commented-out baseurl line that's there. You'll need to similarly change the lines in the other sections to the correct appropriate URL, which you can get from looking at what was there before.

Again though, there's a bigger question here: what are you actually hoping to do ? What is the yum command that you're ultimately hoping to run after you've done all your cleaning and listing ? Which package(s) do you need to install ?

It's also worth pointing out that you can just use that first URL I gave you (the one that directly links to the package directory) do download and install any RPMs you might require, if you can't get your Yum config working in the end.

As for whether you should use Fedora 16: well, no. Absolutely not, if you have any choice at all. It's entirely obsolete, and hasn't received any updates in almost four years, so is bound to be full of countless security holes by now. If you want to know which versions of Fedora are still actively supported and/or receiving updates, then you can check the Wikipedia page on Fedora's version history here.

Fedora version history - Wikipedia

So if you're going to be using Fedora for whatever it is you're wanting to do, you definitely want to be using a version that's still actively supported and has a fair while left in its lifecycle if you possibly can.

Is there any reason for you to stick with Fedora 16? It's fairly easy to upgrade between versions now if you start with a current release.

Thanks for your replies.

I think its better for me to install Fedora 20 and above. The reason for me to stick with Fedora 16 was that I was going to configure Lanforge traffic generator tool on that and all my other server are also having F16 so I though its a better option to stick. Anyways I will try it out with the F20 and update if I face any issues.

The reason for doing yum list is to verify weather its listing the packages from yum repository..

Thanks once again
Muzaffar

I'd seriously consider upgrading your other servers to a current version of Fedora as well.

Hi,

I'd definitely upgrade, yes. And there's not much point going to Fedora 20, as it's been dead for almost two years by this point too. If you're going to upgrade, go to the highest current supported version that you can (which right now, means Fedora 24 or 25).

Sure,

I will upgrade all my Fedora version to the latest one.

Thanks for your replies
Muzaffar

---------- Post updated at 02:24 AM ---------- Previous update was at 02:22 AM ----------

I've configured one offline repository, but when I check its disabled

[root@ECS yum.repos.d]# yum repolist all
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit
Adding en_US to language list
repo id                                                                           repo name                                                                     status
ECS                                                                               ECS                                                                           disabled
repolist: 0
[root@ECS yum.repos.d]#

I tried enabling with the below command but it dint worked.

[root@ECS yum.repos.d]# yum-config-manager --enable ecs.repo
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit
Adding en_US to language list
[root@ECS yum.repos.d]#

Any solution for this.

When you say it didn't work, do you mean the repo is still disabled or that it is enabled but you can't pull packages from it?

I think the repo is disabled, coz when i check for the status it shows as disabled and due to which I am unable to install any packages using yum.

[root@ECS yum.repos.d]# yum repolist all 
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit 
Adding en_US to language list 
repo id                                                                           repo name                                                                     status 
ECS                                                                               ECS                                                                           disabled 
repolist: 0 
[root@ECS yum.repos.d]#  

Please let me know how to enable it.

Thank you