Make installworld in single-user mode all the time?

[Philippe Lang]

Hi,

I'd like to patch a production server, with about 10 jails, running FreeBSD
6.0 Release, in order to get FreeBSD 6.0-p6.

Since this server is being hosted on a remote location, rebooting in
single-user mode before doing the installworld requires me to move to the
hosting center.

Documentation mentions that a reboot in single-user mode is necessary. But
on the opposite, /usr/src/UPDATING says:

> Also, when doing a major release upgrade, it is required that
> you boot into single user mode to do the installworld.

Since this is no "major release upgrade", does that mean I can do the
installworld in multi-user mode?

I have tested that on a smaller test server yesterday evening, I have even
done the installworld in running jails, and it worked just fine. Was I lucky
maybe?

Does anyone have a definitive guide to update FreeBSD correctly?

Here is what I did:

----------

1) Cleaning
> cd /usr/obj 
> chflags -R noschg * 
> rm -rf 

2) Buildworld & Kernel
> cd /usr/src 
> make buildworld (/usr/src/UPDATING mentions we should avoid the -j option)
> make kernel KERNCONF=<MY_KERNEL_CONF>

4) When doing a major release upgrade:
> reboot in single-user mode
> fsck -p 
> mount -u / 
> mount -a -t ufs 
> swapon -a 
> adjkerntz -i 

6) Installworld
> cd /usr/src 
> mergemaster -p 
> make installworld 
> mergemaster 
 
7) Update jail1
> mergemaster -p -D /usr/jails/my_jail1
> make installworld DESTDIR=/usr/jails/my_jail1
> mergemaster -D /usr/jails/my_jail1
 
8) Update jail2
> mergemaster -p -D /usr/jails/my_jail2
> make installworld DESTDIR=/usr/jails/my_jail2
> mergemaster -D /usr/jails/my_jail2

9) Reboot

----------

Regards,

----------------------------------
Philippe Lang, Ing. Dipl. EPFL
Attik System
rte de la Fonderie 2
1700 Fribourg
Switzerland
http://www.attiksystem.ch

Tel:      +41 (26) 422 13 75 
Fax:      +41 (26) 422 13 76
Email:    philippe.lang at attiksystem.ch
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: smime.p7s
Type: application/x-pkcs7-signature
Size: 3125 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/attachments/20060323/a2943d7c/smime.bin