Is there a guide to Upgrading a FreeBSD server remotely

[Jonathan T. Sage]

Alex de Kruijff wrote:
> On Tue, Dec 02, 2003 at 03:01:36AM +0100, Denis Fortin wrote:
> 
>>Greetings,
>>
>>I've Google'd a bit, but I cannot find a "survival guide to upgrading 
>>a FreeBSD system remotely".
>>
>>The Handbook's procedure is excellent (cvsup to the RELENG branch and 
>>then make'ing world), but it requires going into single user mode and 
>>using the console, two things which may not be possible in the context 
>>of a server sitting unattended in a hosting center 10000 kilometers away.
>>
>>Has anyone written a quick guide on issues that can arise in this kind 
>>of situation?  (For instance, one the the issues is that one might end 
>>up with a bad kernel: have people devised a way for the boot code to 
>>interact with "reboot -k xxx" to revert to the default kernel after an 
>>unsucessful boot, or after a specific time?)
>>
> 
> Although its not recommended to do this, it can be done. It basicaly
> comes down to following the manual (without rebooting into single
> usermode) and be very very carefull. Read everything you need to read,
> run every command you need to run and have someone sitting there in case
> it goes wrong.
> 
> Note: I've never done this on a busy system.
i frequently do

#make buildworld
#make buildkernel
#make installkernel
reboot
#make installworld
#mergemaster
#reboot

on a small-ish trafficed site.  and indeed it has bit me in the ass 
before.  but it *usually* works. this is not saying it will for you, but 
it has for me in the past.

-- 
"Yesterday upon the stair I saw a man
who wasn't there, he wasn't there
again today, oh how i wish he'd go away"

Rev. Jonathan T. Sage
Lighting / Set Designer
Professional Web Design
[HTTP://thr.msu.edu]
[wisesage98 at yahoo.com]
[PGP: www.keyserver.net]
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 254 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/attachments/20031202/05e7719b/attachment.bin