From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Nov 4 21:10:24 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 23ADA16A417 for ; Sun, 4 Nov 2007 21:10:24 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from clint@0lsen.net) Received: from rwcrmhc12.comcast.net (rwcrmhc12.comcast.net [204.127.192.82]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 11D0513C48E for ; Sun, 4 Nov 2007 21:10:23 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from clint@0lsen.net) Received: from 0lsen.net ([24.20.127.157]) by comcast.net (rwcrmhc12) with ESMTP id <20071104211009m1200gqjrle>; Sun, 4 Nov 2007 21:10:09 +0000 Received: by 0lsen.net (Postfix, from userid 1001) id 5F5FF179F8; Sun, 4 Nov 2007 13:10:09 -0800 (PST) Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2007 13:10:09 -0800 From: Clint Olsen To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Message-ID: <20071104211009.GC20861@0lsen.net> References: <20071102095628.GA796@0lsen.net> <472AF94B.1020600@gmx.de> <20071104200325.T91647@fledge.watson.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20071104200325.T91647@fledge.watson.org> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i Organization: NULlsen Network X-Disclaimer: Mutt Bites! Subject: Re: Source upgrade from 5.5 to 6.X not safe? X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 04 Nov 2007 21:10:24 -0000 On Nov 04, Robert Watson wrote: > When I upgrade a remote systems, I'll actually almost always run a few > days with the new kernel and the old user space to make sure everything > has settled nicely before doing the user space upgrade, which is harder > to revert. Reverting to an old kernel is easy, and leaving the door open > is likewise easy -- as long as you don't installworld. This is sort of what I was hoping to try, but alas I crashed and burned before I could even get the new kernel up and running. I never answered another question posed, and that was whether or not I rebooted in single-user mode - I did not. I also did not install the kernel while in single-user mode because, well, I'm the only user :) Your comment seemed to imply that it can be a safe operation to reboot and run the machine regularly after make installkernel. Am I reading that correctly? In general, is it possible that the installkernel did /not/ complete correctly before I shut down? Is it ever possible that the machine could get put into an indeterminate state when doing installkernel on a running machine? HP-UX used to behave horribly when a binary got clobbered for a process that was running, but I have no idea how FreeBSD copes with changing disk images of a running process. Thanks, -Clint