# Update install failed: installer: failed to read and install update: reader: unsupported version: 3

**URL:** <https://hub.mender.io/t/update-install-failed-installer-failed-to-read-and-install-update-reader-unsupported-version-3/1709>\
**Category:** General Discussions\
**Tags:** raspberry-pi-3, raspbian, mender-artifact\
**Created:** [March 29, 2020, 8:40am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/update-install-failed-installer-failed-to-read-and-install-update-reader-unsupported-version-3/1709 "2020-03-29T08:40:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gil0109](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/gil0109/32/124_2.png) [@gil0109](https://hub.mender.io/u/gil0109)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 8:40am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/update-install-failed-installer-failed-to-read-and-install-update-reader-unsupported-version-3/1709/1 "2020-03-29T08:40:26Z")

</div>

I am using Mender Server 2.2.x  
I have an image built with MENDER\_ARTIFACT\_VERSION=2.3.0  
I am building a new Artifact using Version 3.3.0

Is it not possible to upgrade to a newer version of Mender Artifact without updating the base image on the client?

Thanks again for a great product. Just trying to understand how I push updated client versions. Do I have to do an intermediate step?

Thanks  
Karim

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dellgreen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/dellgreen/32/85_2.png) [@dellgreen](https://hub.mender.io/u/dellgreen)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 9:24am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/update-install-failed-installer-failed-to-read-and-install-update-reader-unsupported-version-3/1709/2 "2020-03-29T09:24:35Z")

</div>

My understanding and experience is you need to upgrade your mender client before using a new major mender artifact version.

[https://docs.mender.io/2.3/architecture/compatibility](https://docs.mender.io/2.3/architecture/compatibility)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gil0109](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/gil0109/32/124_2.png) [@gil0109](https://hub.mender.io/u/gil0109)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 9:44am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/update-install-failed-installer-failed-to-read-and-install-update-reader-unsupported-version-3/1709/3 "2020-03-29T09:44:44Z")

</div>

Makes sense, just painful 😉

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dellgreen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/dellgreen/32/85_2.png) [@dellgreen](https://hub.mender.io/u/dellgreen)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 10:06am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/update-install-failed-installer-failed-to-read-and-install-update-reader-unsupported-version-3/1709/4 "2020-03-29T10:06:34Z")

</div>

Agreed, also I believe that as you upgrade, only N versions are backwardly supported with the new client. I don’t know if this has changed.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kacf](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/kacf/32/146_2.png) [@kacf](https://hub.mender.io/u/kacf)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 6:56am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/update-install-failed-installer-failed-to-read-and-install-update-reader-unsupported-version-3/1709/5 "2020-03-30T06:56:20Z")

</div>

We have always used semantic versioning. IOW all new major versions (first of the three version numbers) are incompatible in some way (usually requires a workaround), new minor versions are backwards compatible (you can upgrade to higher versions safely), and patch versions are backwards and forwards compatible (you can both upgrade and downgrade safely).

Of course, that’s only theory, and the longer jump you make, the more likely it is that it has not been tested extensively. Our recommendation is to try to stay maximum a couple of minor versions behind.