Whan can I do if OS does not boot after makeworld

[Scott Mitchell]

owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org wrote:
> Did you ever have any problem about makeworld process ?!
> I afraid of one day will come and I can't boot my FreeBSD
> 
> Vahric

This is why the recommended update process is (in part):

# make buildworld
# make buildkernel
# make installkernel

Followed by a reboot into single-user mode before doing the installworld.
If the new kernel doesn't boot, you've still got the previous one in
/kernel.old, so you can just boot from that one and carry on without having
trashed any part of your system.

If installworld somehow manages to make your system unbootable, you have a
few options:
- boot single-user and try to fix things with the tools in /stand (or
/rescue on 5.x)
- boot CD #2 and try to fix things with the tools in the live filesystem
- restore from backups (you do have backups, right?)

Personally, I've made plenty of unbootable kernels, and a few worlds that
behaved strangely in places, but never an unusable system (fingers crossed
:-)

	Scott