From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Aug 30 20:35:42 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: questions@freebsd.org 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 E7AFA16A4DA for ; Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:35:42 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from roberthuff@rcn.com) Received: from smtp02.lnh.mail.rcn.net (smtp02.lnh.mail.rcn.net [207.172.157.102]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id CB26F43D6D for ; Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:35:35 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from roberthuff@rcn.com) Received: from mr08.lnh.mail.rcn.net ([207.172.157.28]) by smtp02.lnh.mail.rcn.net with ESMTP; 30 Aug 2006 16:35:34 -0400 X-IronPort-AV: i="4.08,189,1154923200"; d="scan'208"; a="289810950:sNHT360092728" Received: from smtp01.lnh.mail.rcn.net (smtp01.lnh.mail.rcn.net [207.172.4.11]) by mr08.lnh.mail.rcn.net (MOS 3.7.5a-GA) with ESMTP id GVC42931; Wed, 30 Aug 2006 16:35:15 -0400 (EDT) Received: from 65-78-24-149.c3-0.smr-ubr1.sbo-smr.ma.cable.rcn.com (HELO jerusalem.litteratus.org.litteratus.org) ([65.78.24.149]) by smtp01.lnh.mail.rcn.net with ESMTP; 30 Aug 2006 16:35:10 -0400 X-IronPort-AV: i="4.08,189,1154923200"; d="scan'208"; a="267690032:sNHT75298616" From: Robert Huff MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Message-ID: <17653.62988.974248.299465@jerusalem.litteratus.org> Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 16:33:16 -0400 To: questions@freebsd.org In-Reply-To: <200608301620.41025.ralphellis@netscape.ca> References: <200608301620.41025.ralphellis@netscape.ca> X-Mailer: VM 7.17 under 21.5 (beta27) "fiddleheads" XEmacs Lucid X-Junkmail-Status: score=10/50, host=mr08.lnh.mail.rcn.net X-Junkmail-SD-Raw: score=unknown, refid=str=0001.0A090208.44F5F54D.0031,ss=1,fgs=0, ip=207.172.4.11, so=2006-05-09 23:27:51, dmn=5.2.4/2006-05-04 Cc: Subject: Re: Upgrading BSD X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:35:43 -0000 Ralph Ellis writes: > Usually you have to upgrade from major release to major release > i.e. 4.8 to 5.5, 5.5 to 6.1 etc. However, if you are only > protecting data files then copy them to a cd, dvd or separate > disk drive and do a clean install of 6.1. If you want to protect > configuration files then you may have to upgrade step by > step. Upgrading using the make buildworld, make build kernel, > make install kernel, reboot, make install world, mergemaster > process is time comsuming. If you only need to protect data, then > copy it off and do a clean install. Optimal solution (if available): change address on old disk, set jumper to "read-only" install new disk install FreeBSD on new disk mount old disk "read-only" copy as desired Seriously: you can* source upgrade across major versions - been there - but every iteration is another possible failure mode. You'll also be stuck with all the crud left over from previous versions. Robert Huff * - unless the Release Engineering folks say otherwise