RELEASE_6 -> RELEASE_8

[Clifton Royston]

On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 10:45:33AM +1100, Mark Andrews wrote:
> 
> 	I was trying to upgrade a machine from RELEASE_6 (latest)
> 	to RELEASE_8 (latest) via source.  I was unable to get
> 	make buildworld to complete.
...
> 	Sorry this report is not more complete as I blew away the
> 	tree and restarted on RELEASE_7 as a stepping stone to
> 	RELEASE_8.
> 
> 	RELEASE_7 latest will at least compile. However it will
> 	only run in safe mode as it dies in ar5212Detach with a
> 	kernel fault.  I suspect this will also be a problem for
> 	RELEASE_8.

  I think the main problem is that neither /usr/src/UPDATING (at least
as of 7.3) nor the handbook includes the advisory it should against
trying to skip over a major release branch (e.g.  6.x direct to 8.x,
5.x direct to 7.x) when performing a source upgrade.  

  I know I have read that repeatedly in the past, and have always
structured my upgrades around the rule that your upgrades must, so to
speak, "pass through" and stop at each major branch.  However, I don't
see that rule documented anywhere in the obvious places one would look
for it.

  The latter problem with the kernel fault sounds like a driver problem
in RELEASE_7 latest.  That stuff does happen and I would guess it's
probably a distinct issue, unless you see that it goes away if you
rebuild RELEASE_7 from source while running RELEASE_7.

  -- Clifton  

-- 
    Clifton Royston  --  cliftonr at iandicomputing.com / cliftonr at lava.net
       President  - I and I Computing * http://www.iandicomputing.com/
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