Does running ``# portupgrade -arRp '' prompt for options or updates everything without prompts?

Fri May 6 01:04:00 UTC 2011

On Thu, 5 May 2011 19:27:03 -0500, Antonio Olivares <olivares14031 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Now, another question.  I was thinking about this.  Should I have
> popped in a dvd and just used it to upgrade?

I've never tried that, but it _should_ be possible to
"overwrite" an existing installation (e. g. 8.1) with
the files of the newer one (e. g. 8.2); however I would
consider this a bad approach.

> Should I have run
> # make buildworld
> or some magical command(s) that will build the system against newer
> binaries and newer ports so that the system works better and
> optimized?

Depends. If you want to follow -RELEASE _and_ you do
not need a custom kernel, use freebsd-upgrade to use
the binary way. If you _intendedly_ want to use source
based updates to use -STABLE (or even -CURRENT) and (or)
you need a custom kernel that requires compiling, using
the source is the better way.

Personally, I do both. On servers for example, I upgrade
the binary way on -RELEASE, then rebuild the ports (after
upgrading the ports tree, of course). On my testing system
that I use to try out "bleeding edge" software and where
I also want a custom kernel (due to some specific hardware),
I use the source Luke.

> I have limited experience using FreeBSD :(, have used it on and off
> since release 5.3 with KDE 3.4/3.5 series.  I installed it and had
> dialup at home tried to get the ltmodem port working, but did not
> succeed :(, and I left it as pristine as it was. 

I have also started using FreeBSD with dialup (real PPP with
modem), but this one was a regular serial one which worked
out of the box - not as the crap usually assembled into "modern"
laptops...

> I also got a
> BSDLiveCD : by Scott Ullrich:
> 
> http://livebsd.com/

There's also FreeSBIE, one of the famous FreeBSD live system
CDs (which I traditionally use for diagnostics and test).

> \begin{quote}
> Inception
> LiveBSD was founded by Scott Ullrich and Chris Buechler in January
> 2004. It started its life as an open source project, modifying
> FreeSBIE scripts to build FreeBSD-based live CD's. A name was decided
> on, and the domain registered on February 28, 2004.  The first LiveBSD
> Desktop CD was released at that time, a KDE desktop live CD based on
> FreeBSD 5.2, built using modified FreeSBIE scripts.
> \end{quote}

Sounds interesting, thanks for mentioning it!

> I really liked it and used it at school.  However the project died/was
> unsupported, it appears FreeSBIE has not had much love either.

You can build your own live system CD if needed - there are
excellent tools for that. So once you got a system configured
the way you want, you can follow this idea and make a "portable
system" from that.

> So far it has not prompted me for any configurations.  Had done that
> for two/three days with the previous command:
> 
> # portupgrade -af

This will stop on any point a configuration is needed.

> Then
> # freebsd-update install

Shouldn't you upgrade the system PRIOR TO the ports?
The order is recommended as system -> ports tree -> ports.

> but the ports/packages were still for old 8.1 release :(,

Yes, as you've updated them on 8.1, and THEN you got the
system to 8.2.

> now I have
> updated ports tree with
> # portsnap fetch
> # portsnap extract
> and
> # portsnap install

That's correct.

Just as a sidenote: There is another way to upgrade the ports
tree, the "traditional one" from the days before portsnap:

Step 1: Add this to /etc/make.conf:

	SUP_UPDATE=     yes
	SUP=            /usr/bin/csup
	SUPFLAGS=       -g -L 2
	SUPHOST=        cvsup.freebsd.org
	PORTSSUPFILE=   /etc/sup/ports.sup

Step 2: Create /etc/sup/ports.sup:

	*default host=cvsup.freebsd.org
	*default base=/var/db
	*default prefix=/usr
	*default release=cvs tag=.
	*default delete use-rel-suffix
	*default compress
	ports-all

Note: You can use a different cvsup host and can also exclude
port categories from being updated (e. g. for languages you
do not use, or kinds of programs you are not interested in).
See /usr/share/examples/cvsup/ports-supfile for more details,
it's very well documented (here: in comments).

Step 3: Perform the update

	# cd /usr/ports
	# make update

Now you have a _current_ ports tree.

Note: A similar method works for the system sources. Add

	SUPFILE=        /etc/sup/stable.sup

to /etc/make.conf and create /etc/sup/stable.sup like this:

	*default host=cvsup.freebsd.org
	*default base=/var/db
	*default prefix=/usr
	*default release=cvs tag=RELENG_8
	*default delete use-rel-suffix
	*default compress
	src-all

This will give you 8-CURRENT. Use "tag=RELENG_8.0" for 8.0-pX
(security branch, just as freebsd-update would do), and if you
need RELEASE, use "tag=RELENG_8.0.0".

Then,

	# cd /usr/src
	# make update
	# make buildworld buildkernel

See /usr/src/Makefile (comment section) for which make targets
are defined and in which order you must proceed for a system
upgrade based on sources.

> and running :
> 
> # portupgrade -arRp
> 
> I hope that it would finish soon. 

Depends on your computer's power and which ports are
currently installed. :-)

> I don't know enough like I would
> like to. 

You will easily "learn by doing".

> Sadly :( except for installing some ports [cd
> /usr/ports/editor/some-package/, make install clean] and the package
> would build after configuring some stuff :), but now the stuff was
> overwhelming :( and I would have preferred to learn a quick and not
> too painful way of updating :)  But this is part of learning and I
> will take it in stride.

If you want to intendedly build a "big port" from source as
you've correctly mentioned, use the command

	# make config-recursive

before the build. This will make sure all dependencies are
checked for "make config" screens, and they are visited
first. Then, run

	# make install

to perform the actual install which will then NOT be interrupted
by a "make config" screen.

> It is building new documentation packages handbook for several
> languages some new packages and it is moving nicely :)

You can easily configure _which_ languages you want the
documentation for.

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