How to keep freebsd-update from trashing custom kernel?

[Polytropon]

On Mon, 13 Aug 2012 10:35:12 -0600, Brett Glass wrote:
> At 05:24 AM 8/13/2012, Polytropon wrote:
> 
> >That seems to be the default behaviour, as freebsd-update is
> >not supposed to be used with a custom kernel. It works with
> >GENERIC kernels (because it updates them by overwriting).
> 
> Actually, freebsd-update is claimed to respect custom kernels. See 
> the FreeBSD Handbook at 25.2.2:
> 
> http://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/updating-upgrading-freebsdupdate.html
> 
> "The freebsd-update utility can automatically update the GENERIC 
> kernel only. If a custom kernel is in use, it will have to be 
> rebuilt and reinstalled after freebsd-update finishes installing 
> the rest of the updates. However, freebsd-update will detect and 
> update the GENERIC kernel in /boot/GENERIC (if it exists), even if 
> it is not the current (running) kernel of the system."

Interesting, didn't know that (because I typically use
freebsd-update with a GENERIC kernel and then load modules
if needed).



> But in fact, freebsd-update did not update the kernel in 
> /boot/GENERIC on my system. Instead, it trashed the customer kernel 
> in /boot/kernel, and did so with no warning. If there had been a 
> power outage or other problem before I could rebuild, the system 
> would have been disabled.

I've never seen a system having a /boot/GENERIC directory
containing the GENERIC kernel. The default location even
for the GENERIC (but also for a custom) kernel is /boot/kernel,
where the kernel itself is /boot/kernel/kernel. It's possible
to do some renaming here and change /boot/loader.conf accordingly
as mentioned in my previous message. If such preparations have
been taken place, freebsd-update could alter /boot/kernel content
without problems, leaving /boot/mykernel untouched. The boot
mechanism would then continue using _that_ directory.




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