Re: Has the update procedure changed?

On Wed, 9 Aug 2023 05:50:05 -0700
David Wolfskill <david@catwhisker.org> wrote:

> On Wed, Aug 09, 2023 at 09:38:22PM +0900, Tomoaki AOKI wrote:
> > ...
> > 
> > Please correct me if I'm missing something.
> > I use source update for years and not using bsdinstall nor
> > freebsd-update.
> > 
> > Does bsdinstall (and/or freebsd-update) create the first current tree
> > for etcupdate, if not yet exists?
> > 
> > This would be most confusing and harmful point of etcupdate.
> > When I first tried etcupdate, I didn't noticed that I needed
> > `etcupdate extract -B` BEFORE UPDATING src tree.
> > Without this, etcupdate cannot detect what should be updated, even if a
> > plenty of updates are required.
> > 
> > At the moment, I must use mergemaster, and after that, `etcupdate
> > extract -B` for next run.
> > 
> > I think bsdinstall can create current tree, which is turned over to old
> > tree on actual run, for etcupdate.
> > So do freebsd-update. It would be able to create current tree JUST
> > BEFORE INSTALLING UPDATE.
> > 
> > I was helped by mergemaster, but after it completely retires, features
> > above should be mandatory.
> > ....
> 
> TL;DR: Please see the "Bootstrapping" section of etcupdate(8).

I know. ;-) I'm using etcupdate when it first MFC'ed to latest stable
branch ATM, and bitten at the first time.

Anyone not familiar with etcupdate would bitten by forgotton
bootstrapping. :-(


> Details: I have been doing source-based updates of FreeBSD since around
> 1999.  As such, I used mergemaster for a long time, and got used to it.
> 
> With the switch to git, the $FreeBSD$ lines in config files became ...
> well, misleading noise.  And since mergemaster tried to use them, that
> didn't work very well.  This provided the incentive I needed to switch
> to etcupdate.
> 
> And... yeah; there was a "learning curve."  And the "bootstrapping" bit
> is necessary.  But it has worked well for me since.

Yes. But if bsdinstall and freebsd-update automatically bootstrap
etcupdate if not yet done, newbies and casual users wouldn't be bitten.

For source-based update users like us,

 *Bootstrapping section of man page should be near the top,
  for example, betweem DESCRIPTION and MODES section, not inside
  EXAMPLES section.

 *Also documented in UPDATING (or new document for common instructions)
  and handbook.

should be needed.
etcupdate cannot extract old tree from already-updated src.
So anyone forgotton bootstrapping is forced to roll back src for
bootstrapping and roll forward again BEFORE installworld, once
mergemaster dissapears.

> 
> Peace,
> david
> -- 
> David H. Wolfskill                              david@catwhisker.org
> Given Trump's claims about fairness in elections, his notion of a
> "fair trial" is almost certainly at variance with objective reality.
> 
> See https://www.catwhisker.org/~david/publickey.gpg for my public key.


-- 
Tomoaki AOKI    <junchoon@dec.sakura.ne.jp>