To track or not to track

[Greg Barniskis]

Chris Maness wrote:
> I just wanted to get pros and cons for tracking the whole port tree on a 
> production server.
> 
> Any opinions?

If by track you mean regularly download, compile and install all
available updates, the big con is that you can sometimes break your
box. More frequently you won't break anything but may need to spend
considerable time babysitting the process, often needlessly since
many updates are for features you'll never use.

Tracking updates aggressively is a job for a dedicated build/test
server that makes packages and dishes them out on demand, as needed
(via NFS, rsync or your favorite sync method) first to other test
servers and then to production servers.This way production boxes 
only get tested updates, on your schedule, for your reasons.

You can best follow the "not broke, don't fix" credo by regularly
doing cvsup (in case an upgrade is suddenly required), but only
doing updates on production servers when:

* there is an official FreeBSD security alert

* portaudit throws a fit based on one or more of your installed port
versions

* some business requirement of yours creates a definitive need to 
have the latest version of something


-- 
Greg Barniskis, Computer Systems Integrator
South Central Library System (SCLS)
Library Interchange Network (LINK)
<gregb at scls.lib.wi.us>, (608) 266-6348