Freebsd-update to 9.3 from 9.2

[Doug Hardie]

On 20 July 2014, at 17:54, Warren Block <wblock at wonkity.com> wrote:

> On Sun, 20 Jul 2014, Doug Hardie wrote:
> 
>>> Is there anything else we can do to help make it more clear?  I don't mean to put you on the spot, just that I've found these types of problems often can be used to make valuable improvements in the documentation.  If you think of somewhere else it should be mentioned, or a better way to explain it, please let me or the freebsd-doc mailing list know.
>>> 
>> 
>> I would appreciate either examples or instructions with examples on how to setup and properly update a system using svn.  Those are the most common things admins do if they are not involved in the development of FreeBSD.  There used to be some good info on that in the handbook back when we used cvsup.  Think more tutorial and less man page constructs.  If I knew enough about the process, I'd try writing it, but so far most of the things I have tried have not worked.  Only one of the several systems I have tried to update to use svn and pkg still works.
> 
> pkg is not involved.  I don't use binary packages, so someone else can address that.
> 
> The problem with exact Subversion examples is there are numerous repositories and mirrors, so it's a factorial combination.  And we (or at least, I) have found that giving specific examples means people will use those examples verbatim, even if there is a warning not to do so.
> 
> So, keeping that in mind...
> 
>  Check out source for 10-stable from the western US mirror, first time
>  only:
> 
>  # rm -rf /usr/src
>  # svn checkout https://svn0.us-west.freebsd.org/base/stable/10
> 
>  The first time, Subversion will ask to accept a security certificate
>  fingerprint.  These are shown in the Handbook Subversion appendix.
> 
>  To update that source later:
>  # svn up /usr/src
> 
> That's it.  The process for ports is identical, just a different repository:
> 
>  # rm -rf /usr/ports
>  # svn checkout https://svn0.us-west.freebsd.org/ports/head /usr/ports
> 
>  And then update periodically:
>  # svn up /usr/ports
> 
> 
> The desire to avoid that repetition is why there is a generic Subversion appendix in the Handbook.  Still, we have a lot of repetition of Subversion instructions elsewhere.  There's a section in the Handbook. There's another in the Committer's Guide.  There's another in the FDP Primer.  Hence my idea to factor all that out and make our own Subversion for FreeBSD book.  My outline for it already has separate sections for end-user usage for ports, source, and docs.  However, it is one of many projects on the list.
> 

I brought up pkg because both it and svn were introduced at about the same time.  Thus completely breaking the model we have used for maintaining systems for over 10 years.  Its been a bit difficult.

On the documentation, the above appears fine.  I would include examples on how to upgrade OS to new version.  I don't think I would remember the commands I used earlier, especially as I try to keep upgrades to once a year.  System downtime is a real hassle for my users.  I would not recommend putting that in a separate document though.  The handbook should have it all.  I have never heard of the Committer's Guide or the FDP Primer.  I've never seen a reference to them before and sure would not have check there.