Keeping FreeBSD updated (the binary way)

[Svein Halvor Halvorsen]

Hi, list!


I have just acquired a new computer to replace an old server. This older 
server has been running FreeBSD 5.3 since 2004 and most of its packages 
are way out of date. I've been scared of changing something in fear of 
rendering the machine unbootable, or some core applications unrunnable.

I want to make sure I have better routines this time around, when I'm 
starting a-fresh. I'd like to keep my system and packages fairly up to 
date, and still keep the compiling to a minimum.

Is it possible to pkg_add -r packages from -STABLE on the latest 
-RELEASE? That is, will the following work, or slowly render my system 
to an incoherent state:

1) Regularly run freebsd-update
2) Regularly run portsnap
3) Set my PACKAGESITE to the -STABLE location
4) Regularly run portupgrade -P


Will the postsnap'ed index always be in sync with what's available as 
precompiled packages for -STABLE? Will these -STABLE packages always run 
on my freebsd-update'd -RELEASE system? If some ports have the 
NO_PACKAGE bit set, will compiling them against dependencies from 
-STABLE work, as long as I've run portsnap?



	Svein Halvor