Keep -STABLE updated!

[Schaich, Alonso]

On Tue, 20 Jan 2015 08:30:16 -0500
Paul Mather <paul at gromit.dlib.vt.edu> wrote:

> 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.

Also, nvidia, VirtualBox and some other packages contains kernel
modules, which require a kernel source code and your setup might be
affected by more updates of those ports than the system is affected by
security erratas.

Alonso