Keep -STABLE updated!

[Paul Mather]

On Jan 19, 2015, at 8:54 PM, Brandon Allbery <allbery.b at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Mon, Jan 19, 2015 at 8:36 PM, Yass Amed <zagazaw2004 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> I'd like to clarify a certain info regarding FreeBSD -STABLE.
>> Currently, I am running 10-STABLE and need to know if it is mandatory to
>> rebuild kernel and world every time I sync the source using "# svn up
>> /usr/src"?
>> 
> 
> A running FreeBSD system never needs /usr/src. But if you are running
> STABLE (or CURRENT), sometimes you will want to look at the source to
> something in the running system (usually because it just did something
> unexpected...) and so it's helpful to have /usr/src match the running
> system. So, not necessary but often a good idea.


It's correct that, once built and running, a FreeBSD system never needs /usr/src.  However, a -STABLE or -CURRENT FreeBSD system will need /usr/src to apply any security advisories or errata (as happened recently, re: OpenSSL).  Unlike -RELEASE branches, -STABLE and -CURRENT don't get updates via freebsd-update.

Also, it's handy to have /usr/src and rebuild if ever there is a feature MFC'd that you'd like to have available on your -STABLE system (e.g., the bhyve support for AMD processors that was MFC'd not so long ago).  That's usually the main reason for running -STABLE, actually.

Cheers,

Paul.