Error: cannot retrieve metalink for repository: epel. please verify its path and try again

Question

Problem :

I want to update Orion ContextBroker using the command yum install contextBroker. But unfortunately I am getting the following error:

Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, refresh-packagekit, security Loading

mirror speeds from cached hostfile

Error: Cannot retrieve metalink for repository: epel. Please verify its path and try again

What could be wrong? Any clue?

Answer 1

I have encountered the same issue in the recent past even though my ca-certificates package is up-to-date. The mirror is currently signed by the DigiCert High Assurance EV Root CA which is also included in my ca-bundle as follows:

$ grep -A 3 "DigiCert High" /etc/ssl/certs/ca-bundle.crt

# DigiCert High Assurance EV Root CA

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----

MIIDxTCCAq2gAwIBAgIQAqxcJmoLQJuPC3nyrkYldzANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQUFADBs

MQswCQYDVQQGEwJVUzEVMBMGA1UEChMMRGlnaUNlcnQgSW5jMRkwFwYDVQQLExB3

The reason behind my https connections failed was in my case the system date was set to the year 2002 in which the DigiCert High Assurance EV Root CA is not (yet) valid.

$ date

Di 1. Jan 11:10:35 CET 2002

So I just changed the system time and it fixed the issue for me.

If above approach is not working for you then you can try below alternative one:

yum install elfutils-default-yama-scope-0.168-8.el7.noarch --disablerepo=epel

yum install nss-pem -disablerepo=epel

yum reinstall ca-certificates --disablerepo=epel

yum clean all

rm -rf /var/cache/yum

yum update`