For arguments sake: The test works on Factory (see build log, still against 9.16) https://build.opensuse.org/build/X11:common:Factory/openSUSE_Factory/x86_64/libspectre/_log [ 66s] + IFS=. [ 66s] + read GS_MAJ GS_MIN [ 66s] ++ rpm -q --qf '%{version}' ghostscript-devel [ 66s] + IFS=' [ 66s] ' [ 66s] + '[' 9 -gt 9 -o 9 -eq 9 -a 16 -gt 17 ']' [ 66s] + exit 0 hence, if 13.2 support which does not like the read GS_MAJ GS_MIN is needed, resorting to zypper vcmp (or anything else that manages to properly compare versions) is needed... (we can't guarantee that GS won't ever do a strange thing like a hot fix 9.20a; so pure mathematical conversion will always be flawed)