make world question on remote dedicated server

[Matthew Seaman]

On Wed, Mar 03, 2004 at 05:46:54PM +1100, Mark Sams wrote:

> I am thinking of getting a FreeBSD dedicated server
> that I will only have ssh access to.  What is the
> normal procedure of keeping up to date with kernel
> changes when you do not have console access? 

The usual procedure is to get console access.  The cheapest and
easiest way of doing that is to use a null-modem cable to connect the
serial port to a neighbouring machine and run tip(1) or some other
terminal emulator there.  If you haven't got another machine handy,
you might be able to use a modem to provide yourself with a remote
console -- shades of the days of big-iron mainframe type systems.
 
> Is it possible to drop into single user mode remotely?
> Or is single user mode not necessary for make
> installkernel and the like? Does:

Getting into single user mode remotely is easy.  It's the getting out
that's hard.
 
> buildworld / buildkernel / installkernel
> reboot then 
> installworld / mergemaster 

If you're going to do this at all, it's probably better to save the
reboot until after all of the installworld/installkernel/mergemaster
steps.
 
> work while connected through ssh?

You certainly can do this, and the vast majority of the time it will
work OK.  However, if things don't go smoothly you're going to be left
up a gum tree with a non-working server and no way to recover or
back-out changes.  Whether that's an acceptable risk is a judgement
call you'll have to make.

	Cheers,

	Matthew

-- 
Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil.                       26 The Paddocks
                                                      Savill Way
PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey         Marlow
Tel: +44 1628 476614                                  Bucks., SL7 1TH UK
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