Upgrading 6.0 to 6.x... without /var

[Polytropon]

On Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:14:55 -0700 (PDT), jaymax <jaymax36 at gmail.com> wrote:
> =>> Error Messages
> [i] "Error mounting /mnt/dev ad0as1e on /mnt/usr : Input/output error"
> [ii] "Error mounting /mnt/dev ad0as1f on /mnt/usr : Input/output error"
                                ^^^^^^^
This looks weird. Is this for real? Partition names should
be ad0s1e (or f), not ad0*a*s1e (or f). Have you specified
the correct device names?



> Then tries to a form a holographic shell
> asks for directory to save current /etc?, prompts with /var/tmp/etc, I
> changed it to "/usr/tmp2/etc" => "Unable to backup your /etc int
> /usr/tmp2/etc. Do you want to continue anyway?"
> Opt'd out w/ a No! selection.
> 
> Could this problem result from the absence of a /var partition ? 

No, but the system can neither access /var (even as a symlink), nor
can it access /usr because it isn't mounted - as far as it seems to
me.



> Is there an alt. Strategy for a 6.0 =>6.4 upgrade, while maintaining all the
> previous custom and configuration files?

You could first start with a live system CD (FreeBSD's own one or
FreeSBIE), then mount / and /usr (where /var does exist) and copy
the important subtrees, such as /etc, /var/db/pkg and /usr/local/etc.
You can then overwrite everything and reinstall your configuration
files manually.



-- 
Polytropon
Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...