5.2.1 to 6.2 Migration.

[Beech Rintoul]

On Saturday 03 November 2007, Chris Haulmark said:
> > Kevin Kinsey <kdk at daleco.biz> writes:
> > > Lowell Gilbert wrote:
> > >> "Chris Haulmark" <chris at sigd.net> writes:
> > >>> Grant Peel wrote:
> > >>>> I thought I would ask the question before I do it the hard
> > >>>> way
> >
> > ....
> >
> > >>>> 1. Can FreeBSD be upgraded from 5.2.1 to 6.2 ?
> > >>>
> > >>> Yes.
> > >>>
> > >>>> 2. Can it be done through an ssh connection, or MUST I make
> > >>>> the
> >
> > trip
> >
> > >>>> to the farm and do it from the console?
> > >>>
> > >>> I've done 5.x to 6.x upgrades via ssh.  It is possible.
> > >>>
> > >>> In the handbook, you will see mentions of booting into single
> > >>> user
> >
> > mode
> >
> > >>> and I can tell you that it is not required.
> > >>
> > >> It's a good safety precaution; if your updated kernel won't
> > >> boot,
> >
> > you
> >
> > >> will need to reinstall most of the system.
>
> That is over the board.
>
> Only times that I have made the mistakes in the past are:
>
> 1.  Misconfiguring the kernel options such as disabling the
> meeded network driver built in the kernel.
> 2.  Anything related to having kernel panics to occur.
> 3.  Enabling firewall and getting locked out via network.
>
> > > That sounds a tad alarmist; if the new kernel won't boot,
> > > you'll have to be at (or have someone at) the console who can
> > > boot "kernel.old" (I stand open for correction, but last time I
> > > did it, 'twas that way).  And, possibly, that person (you?)
> > > will also have to be able to do some other magic.
>
> Magic such as having other remote possibilities.  DRAC access for
> example.
>
> > > But the phrase "reinstall most of the system" doesn't, at
> > > the very least, *sound* like the BSD Way(tm).  Granted,
> > > sometimes it's quicker --- I know that's why it's used so
> > > often on that "Other System" .... ;-)
> >
> > If you have reinstalled a userland that depends on a kernel that
> > doesn't boot, you are quite likely to be in trouble.
>
> I always do buildworld/installworld as part of my kernel
> build/installs. That is to ensure staying in sync.
>
> I reboot after the installworld then again after the installkernel.

You should do it the other way around. That way if the new kernel 
doesn't boot you aren't stuck with an out of sync userland which may 
not play nicely with your old kernel. Also, depending on the changes 
booting an old kernel with a new userland may (and has) result in 
your system not booting at all.

The proper sequence is:

# make buildworld
# make buildkernel
# make installkernel
# reboot
# mergemaster -p
# make installworld
# mergemaster
# reboot


>
> > The "BSD way" does not necessarily involve easy recovery from
> > making up procedures that haven't been worked out or tested by
> > the release engineers.  In fact, I don't think any operating
> > system guarantees that you will have an easy time after making up
> > your own upgrade procedures.
>
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Beech Rintoul - FreeBSD Developer - beech at FreeBSD.org
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