Release Tag and Branch Tag and Upgread ..

[Jan Grant]

On Tue, 16 Dec 2003, Vahric MUHTARYAN wrote:

> Hi Everybody  ,
>
> 	I know that all FreeBSD version have Branch on code tree . Now
> I'm using to keep up-to-date FreeBSD witch CVSup and buildworld method .
>
> I'm using 4.9 or 5.1 versions . in stable-supfile I setted
>
> *default release=cvs tag=RELENG_4_9
>
> 	I know that, this method for only security advisories and other
> seriously critical fixes ...
>
> 	What is going on if I set it RELENG_4 ?! Do I have to use it ?

You instead track the -STABLE branch. As well as vital security fixes,
new functionality may also appear on this branch as it is tested under
-CURRENT and backported.

Despite the name, occasionally instabilities have been known to crop up
in -STABLE from time to time. They're usually dealt with promptly, but
if you're going to track -STABLE then you should subscribe to the
freebsd-stable mailing list to stay abreast of announcements (it's
pretty low-traffic).

> 	What about RELEASE Tag ?! When Do I have to use this type of
> update for example Can I use it when I want to upgread my FreeBSD 4.9
> RELESE to FreeBSD 5.1 or FreeBSD 5.0 RELEASE to Freebsd 5.1 RELEASE ...

The RELEASE tags just mark a single point in time. You generally do not
want to "track" these using cvsup because the tags never move; nothing
ever changes.

> 	I wonder about CURRENT Branch , How FreeBSD CURRENT users can
> keep-up-to date their src tree and system because all of those updates
> looks like for STABLE or RELEASE ?!!

cvsup knows about cvs branches and will only apply the patches from a
branch you tell it to track.

In any production environment it's common to have a test/build machine
which you can try the latest -STABLE or -CURRENT on. If you're happy
that no regressions have been introduced, then you can share the
/usr/src and /usr/obj directories out via NFS to your other machines and
use those to drive an installation.

> 	Last question is ; Some body said that you I did not need to
> make buildworld every time ?! I want to know When need to make
> buildworld process ?!

"make buildworld" will rebuild (but NOT install, that's a separate step
and you should read the section in the handbook about the right way to
do this) all the userland bits in a base FreeBSD system. "make
buildkernel" will rebuild the kernel.

[ If you are installing third-party software via the ports system, that
  will need separate maintenance. A common solution is to install the
  "sysutils/portupgrade" port and use that to manage your ports. Once
  you've got that set up it pretty much takes care of the rest of the
  leg work involved in maintaining a system. ]

Although it is possible on older machines to selectively build parts of
the system that you wish to update, in general I've found it to be a
false economy on modern hardware (unless you're actually a freebsd
developer). A full build can run over a lunchbreak and be ready for
testing on your return :-)


-- 
jan grant, ILRT, University of Bristol. http://www.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/
Tel +44(0)117 9287088 Fax +44 (0)117 9287112 http://ioctl.org/jan/
"...perl has been dead for more than 4 years." - Abigail in the Monastery