# "ERROR: Invalid version: Flag: or" \[SOLVED\]

**URL:** <https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/error-invalid-version-flag-or-solved/7488>\
**Category:** Rocky Linux Help & Support\
**Created:** [October 8, 2022, 4:34pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/error-invalid-version-flag-or-solved/7488 "2022-10-08T16:34:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![desercat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/desercat/32/1192_2.png) [@desercat](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/desercat)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2022, 4:34pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/error-invalid-version-flag-or-solved/7488/1 "2022-10-08T16:34:18Z")

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OK This is a [SOLVE] on CentOS 7.9 but may crop in RHEL, RL, AL, et.al.

Recently I got the ERROR message, “ERROR: Invalid Version Flag: or” I had no idea how to solve it. In spite of my best efforts , NOTHING resolved it. It was time to get SERIOUS: WIPE OUT THE DRIVE AND DO A REINSTALL FROM BACKUP!!! GOOD plan, but I screwed up: I wiped out my backup!! WHOOPS!! Plan B.

Before I did ANYTHING I made a BACKUP of my existing DRIVE (That was how I managed to wipe out my CentOS 7.9 Backup). After I finished backing up my EXISTING DRIVE TWICE, I proceeded to do a reinstall of that existing backup, in hopes that _that_ would solve the problem. It DID NOT!! I still got the same “ERROR: Invalid Version : Flag: or” message. Now for “Plan B”.

Since I wiped out my CentOS 7.9 backup, I dropped back to CentOS 7.8 Backup. Not great but it should work. Before I did ANYTHING I wiped the drive each time with GParted, this way there is a CLEAN drive to work with. This time I installed the CentOS **7.8** Backup. It ran smooth as as silk. I slept! With the Pussycat!! The PLAN was after the INSTALL was to simply run “Yum Update” thereby rolling over CenOS 7.8 =\> CentOS 7.9. The ONLY Catch was there were **918 Packages** that needed to be updated!! It would take some 1 hour + to update the machine. I jumped back into bed with the Pussycat and went back to sleep!!

When I woke up the machine had a splash (?) screen covering but a wiggle of the mouse showed that indeed indeed it had updated, _AND_ there was NO **ERROR: Invalid Version: Flag: or** message at the end.

Mark this Problem [SOLVED]!! Caveat: In order to get this to work you FIRST need to have a BACKUP!! That is the FIRST thing I am going to do is make a CURRENT BACKUP of CentOS 7.9 I also plan to do that for RL 8.6 as well.

Trivia: the “ERROR: Invalid Version: Flag: or:” Error message is _restricted_ tp Red Hat spinoffs ONLY. Thus RHEL, CentOS, RL, AL, Fedora, et. al are ALL prone to receiving this message. I did not come accross a solution. I guess you can live with it, however having a solved solution is the ideal solution.

Mark this problem – with caveat – [SOLVED]

D’ Cat

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**Author:** ![brian](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/brian/32/5777_2.png) [@brian](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/brian)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2023, 3:38am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/error-invalid-version-flag-or-solved/7488/2 "2023-08-25T03:38:07Z")

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Closed on August 25, 2023, 3:38am UTC