Problem with FreeBSD Update handbook instructions

[Glen Barber]

On Wed, Jun 27, 2018 at 12:30:49PM -0600, Adam Weinberger wrote:
> Hi, re team,
> 
> The handbook instructions in §23.2 "FreeBSD Update"
> (https://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/updating-upgrading-freebsdupdate.html)
> have a number of instructions that appear to be incorrect.
> 
> The instructions say repeatedly that a copy of the GENERIC kernel
> should be kept in /boot/GENERIC, and that freebsd-update will then
> keep it up-to-date.
> 
> This does not appear to be correct. freebsd-update only keeps a
> GENERIC kernel up-to-date if it is in /boot/kernel. Custom kernels
> must be installed with a new name using INSTKERNNAME=, so that
> /boot/kernel always remains GENERIC.
> 
> If the instructions in that page are followed for 11.1 -> 11.2, for
> example, a copy of the old kernel will be made to /boot/GENERIC, fail
> to be updated by freebsd-update, and then "nextboot -k GENERIC" will
> boot into an 11.1 kernel, instead of 11.2.
> 
> Unless I'm missing something, those instructions really need to be
> updated before someone shoots himself or herself in the foot with
> them.
> 

This looks like a general documentation issue.  If I recall correctly,
the details in this document apply to 8.x and earlier, and 9.x and later
use /boot/kernel.

Maybe someone on docs@ could take a moment to look into this, or at
least verify if my assumption is correct.

Glen

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