Crossplane "cannot resolve package dependencies" in CI

By Daniel Zoghalchali·Latchkey

Configuration and Provider packages declare dependsOn other packages with version constraints. If those constraints cannot be satisfied against what is installed or pullable, the package manager reports it cannot resolve dependencies and the package stays unhealthy.

What this error means

A Configuration or Provider stays HEALTHY False with an event "cannot resolve package dependencies" naming a dependency and constraint.

crossplane

cannot resolve package dependencies: cannot resolve dependencies:
missing dependency xpkg.upbound.io/upbound/provider-aws-s3
incompatible dependencies: existing provider-family-aws v1.2.0 does not satisfy >=v1.5.0

Diagnose it: state, credentials, or drift?

Infrastructure failures in CI are usually about state access or credentials rather than the configuration itself. Confirm the runner can reach and lock state before reading the plan output.

Terminal

terraform init -backend=true -input=false
terraform providers
terraform plan -input=false -no-color -detailed-exitcode
#   exit 0 = no changes, 2 = changes present, 1 = error

Common causes

A dependency version constraint is unsatisfiable

An installed dependency is older than a dependsOn >= constraint, and no compatible upgrade is allowed, so resolution fails.

A dependency cannot be pulled

The declared dependency image or tag does not exist or is unreachable, so the manager cannot resolve it.

How to fix it

Upgrade the conflicting dependency

Read which dependency and constraint the event names.
Upgrade the installed dependency to a version that satisfies the constraint.
Wait for the Configuration/Provider to become healthy.

Terminal

kubectl get providers,configurations
kubectl describe configuration platform-ref-aws | sed -n '/Events/,$p'

Pin compatible dependency versions

Set explicit, compatible versions across the dependent packages so the manager has a resolvable set.

provider.yaml

spec:
  package: xpkg.upbound.io/upbound/provider-aws-s3:v1.5.0

How to prevent it

Pin compatible versions across dependent packages.
Upgrade dependencies together so constraints stay satisfiable.
Verify dependency images and tags exist before installing.

Frequently asked questions

What causes Crossplane "cannot resolve package dependencies" in CI?

There are 2 common causes: a dependency version constraint is unsatisfiable and a dependency cannot be pulled. An installed dependency is older than a dependsOn >= constraint, and no compatible upgrade is allowed, so resolution fails.

How do I fix Crossplane "cannot resolve package dependencies" in CI?

There are 2 fixes depending on which cause you have: upgrade the conflicting dependency and pin compatible dependency versions. Work through them in order, since the first is the most common.

What does Crossplane "cannot resolve package dependencies" in CI actually mean?