CentOS 7 to AlmaLinux 9 Migration: Solving Compatibility Issues with AI

The day has passed. CentOS 7 reached its End of Life (EOL), and repositories are starting to break. If you are still running a server on CentOS 7, you are sitting on a ticking time bomb.

The logical step is to upgrade to AlmaLinux 9 (the spiritual successor). But we all know the horror stories:

"I ran the upgrade and now my database won't start."
"Dependency hell prevented the migration tool from running."
"My Python scripts are broken because of version mismatch."

In this guide, I will walk you through the upgrade process using the ELevate tool, and crucially, how to use AI to solve the inevitable error messages that appear during the process.

CentOS 7 transforming into AlmaLinux 9 server migration concept

The Tool: What is ELevate?

The AlmaLinux team created a tool called ELevate. It allows you to upgrade between major versions of RHEL-based distributions in place (without formatting and reinstalling).

However, it is rarely a smooth ride. You will encounter "inhibitors" (blockers) that stop the upgrade.

Step 1: The Pre-Check (Where Errors Begin)

First, install the tool on your CentOS 7 server:

yum install -y http://repo.almalinux.org/elevate/elevate-release-latest-el7.noarch.rpm
yum install -y leapp-upgrade leapp-data-almalinux

Then, run the pre-upgrade check:

leapp preupgrade

This is where the panic starts. Your terminal will likely spit out a red text saying "Risk Factor: High" or "Inhibitor detected". It generates a report file at /var/log/leapp/leapp-report.txt.

Step 2: Using AI to Fix "Inhibitors"

Reading the leapp-report.txt file is confusing. It contains hundreds of lines of JSON and technical jargon.

Don't waste hours Googling. Copy the error section from the text file and feed it to ChatGPT/Claude.

Prompt for AI:
"I am trying to upgrade CentOS 7 to AlmaLinux 9 using Leapp. I got a preupgrade inhibitor. Here is the error from leapp-report.txt: [PASTE ERROR CODE]. Identify the package causing the conflict and give me the command to remove or update it safely."

Common Case: The "Unsupported Driver" Error

Often, AI will tell you that an old kernel module (like an old RAID driver) is blocking the upgrade.

AI Solution Example:

# AI might suggest removing the specific module
modprobe -r floppy
rmmod pata_acpi

Step 3: The Actual Upgrade

Once AI helps you clear all inhibitors (green light on pre-check), execute the upgrade:

leapp upgrade

After it finishes, reboot your system:

reboot

It will take some time. When it comes back online, verify your new OS:

cat /etc/os-release

Step 4: Post-Migration Cleanup with AI

After upgrading, you might have "orphaned" packages or config files from CentOS 7 that clutter your system.

Ask AI to generate a cleanup script:

Prompt:
"I just upgraded to AlmaLinux 9. Write a command to list and remove all leftover 'el7' (CentOS 7) packages that are no longer needed."

Resulting Command:

rpm -qa | grep el7 | xargs rpm -e --nodeps

Conclusion

Migrating a server is scary, but with the ELevate tool and an AI assistant to debug the errors, it becomes a manageable task. Don't let your server stay on an EOL operating system!

Did you face a specific error during migration? Paste the error log below, and I will help you solve it.

Author: Marg | Daily Innovate Tech