From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Dec 2 18:12:40 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 408E416A4CE for ; Tue, 2 Dec 2003 18:12:40 -0800 (PST) Received: from smtp02.wxs.nl (smtp02.wxs.nl [195.121.6.54]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1D4AD43FE0 for ; Tue, 2 Dec 2003 18:12:39 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from akruijff@www.kruijff.org) Received: from kruij557.speed.planet.nl (ipd50a97ba.speed.planet.nl [213.10.151.186]) by smtp02.wxs.nl (iPlanet Messaging Server 5.2 HotFix 1.14 (built Mar 18 2003)) with ESMTP id <0HPA00JKZRQDN0@smtp02.wxs.nl> for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Wed, 03 Dec 2003 03:18:14 +0100 (MET) Received: from Alex.lan (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by kruij557.speed.planet.nl (8.12.9p2/8.12.9) with ESMTP id hB32Chr4005084; Wed, 03 Dec 2003 03:12:43 +0100 (CET envelope-from akruijff@Alex.lan) Received: (from akruijff@localhost) by Alex.lan (8.12.9p2/8.12.9/Submit) id hB32ChRL005083; Wed, 03 Dec 2003 03:12:43 +0100 (CET envelope-from akruijff) Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 03:12:43 +0100 From: Alex de Kruijff In-reply-to: <3FCBF280.9060108@acm.org> To: Denis Fortin Message-id: <20031203021242.GB562@dds.nl> MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.1i References: <3FCBF280.9060108@acm.org> cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Is there a guide to Upgrading a FreeBSD server remotely X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 02:12:40 -0000 On Tue, Dec 02, 2003 at 03:01:36AM +0100, Denis Fortin wrote: > Greetings, > > I've Google'd a bit, but I cannot find a "survival guide to upgrading > a FreeBSD system remotely". > > The Handbook's procedure is excellent (cvsup to the RELENG branch and > then make'ing world), but it requires going into single user mode and > using the console, two things which may not be possible in the context > of a server sitting unattended in a hosting center 10000 kilometers away. > > Has anyone written a quick guide on issues that can arise in this kind > of situation? (For instance, one the the issues is that one might end > up with a bad kernel: have people devised a way for the boot code to > interact with "reboot -k xxx" to revert to the default kernel after an > unsucessful boot, or after a specific time?) > Although its not recommended to do this, it can be done. It basicaly comes down to following the manual (without rebooting into single usermode) and be very very carefull. Read everything you need to read, run every command you need to run and have someone sitting there in case it goes wrong. Note: I've never done this on a busy system. -- Alex Articles based on solutions that I use: http://www.kruijff.org/alex/index.php?dir=docs/FreeBSD/