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Date:      Thu, 22 Dec 2005 21:08:13 -0600
From:      "Matthew D. Fuller" <fullermd@over-yonder.net>
To:        Jo Rhett <jrhett@svcolo.com>
Cc:        stable@FreeBSD.org, current <current@FreeBSD.org>
Subject:   Re: Fast releases demand binary updates.. (Was: Release schedule for 2006)
Message-ID:  <20051223030813.GD63497@over-yonder.net>
In-Reply-To: <20051222210904.GH39174@svcolo.com>
References:  <43A266E5.3080103@samsco.org> <20051217220021.GB93998@svcolo.com> <20051218023725.GM63497@over-yonder.net> <20051222210904.GH39174@svcolo.com>

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On Thu, Dec 22, 2005 at 01:09:04PM -0800 I heard the voice of
Jo Rhett, and lo! it spake thus:
>  
> No, you're missing the point.  More core OS upgrades means less
> incremental patches (which are easier to apply than a full update).

Right.  I don't understand how B follows A here.

These patches come from where?  Security advisories, mailing list
discussions, and eating too much beef right before bed and waking up
at 2am with brilliant ideas?  Why would there be less of them, just
because RELENG_X_Y_RELEASE tags are laid down more often?


> Huh?  That's backwards.  If we can't schedule the downtime for a
> full operating system upgrade (which takes far longer than it
> should) then the system won't get upgraded.

Having done full OS upgrades a number of times, I can't remember the
last time it took more than 5 or 10 minutes (during most of which the
system can keep running its normal services, just a little more
crunched on CPU or I/O).  Well, OK, I can; it was when I moved servers
from 2.2.x to 4.x.  But that's a rather exceptional case, and next
time THAT happens, I'm darn well using it as an excuse to strongarm
new hardware out of somebody and replace the server at the same
time...


> Not to be rude, but I think your definition of analogy is wrong.

No, you're right.  "Hyperbole" was probably a better word, but even
that doesn't quite fit.  My ability to find the right word is flaky at
times.  I don't understand the basis of your assertion that more
common tagging means suddenly you can't apply individual patches.


> Back to the point, the comments aren't "bad".  Your idea that binary
> operating system upgrades from ISO are "easier" demonstrates that
> you're talking about home computers, not production servers.

Oh, no.  Heck, I find that upgrades from SOURCE are "easier".  In
fact, just last month I bought my first CD burner, so it wasn't until
a few weeks ago that I even burned my first ISO (and that, just to
test the burner and figure out how to do it), and I've never booted or
installed off one.  For small groups of servers, I NFS mount
installworlds, and for larger groups, I rdist out binaries.  But it
always comes from source.


-- 
Matthew Fuller     (MF4839)   |  fullermd@over-yonder.net
Systems/Network Administrator |  http://www.over-yonder.net/~fullermd/
           On the Internet, nobody can hear you scream.



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