Satellite upgrade script update-packages fails with "rpm.error: error reading package header"

Issue

• "error reading package header" during Satellite upgrade process.

• When trying to convert /var/satellite directory "/usr/bin/update-packages --db=$(spacewalk-cfg-get default_db) --update-filer --update-kstrees --debug", an error like the following appears:

  standby: ######################Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "/usr/bin/update-packages", line 102, in ?
      sys.exit(abs(main() or 0))
    File "/usr/bin/update-packages", line 92, in main
      return updatePackages.main()
    File "/usr/share/rhn/satellite_tools/updatePackages.py", line 85, in main
      process_package_data()
    File "/usr/share/rhn/satellite_tools/updatePackages.py", line 190, in process_package_data
      hdr = rhn_rpm.get_package_header(filename=old_abs_path)
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/spacewalk/common/rhn_rpm.py", line 276, in get_package_header
      hdr = ts.hdrFromFdno(file_desc)
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/spacewalk/common/rhn_rpm.py", line 110, in hdrFromFdno
      return self.ts.hdrFromFdno(fd)
  _rpm.error: error reading package header