Skip site navigation (1)Skip section navigation (2)
Date:      Fri, 2 Feb 1996 17:50:40 +1030 (CST)
From:      Michael Smith <msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au>
To:        karl@mcs.com (Karl Denninger, MCSNet)
Cc:        hackers@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: And the winner is!
Message-ID:  <199602020720.RAA27287@genesis.atrad.adelaide.edu.au>
In-Reply-To: <m0ti9Li-000IDUC@venus.mcs.com> from "Karl Denninger, MCSNet" at Feb 1, 96 06:27:33 pm

next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Karl Denninger, MCSNet stands accused of saying:
> 
> 	If you were setting up a "code server", and wanted to start trying
> 	to automate an update process for FreeBSD to be used in a production
> 	web environment (yes, I'm serious):
> 
> 	a)	What code base would you use?  Pointers to supfiles please;
> 		I have the one for -STABLE, but I bet its out of date.  I
> 		know the "our philosphy is that STABLE is..." stuff; I want
> 		to know from the people using FreeBSD now what is the *best*
> 		code base you have.  Future changes via SUP are fine, assume
> 		I'm not stupid and know how to use things like compilers :-)

STABLE is definitely the go.  
ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/FreeBSD/sup/stable-supfile; pick a supserver near
you (supN.freebsd.org where N is '', '2','3' or '4').

> 	b)	How to handle replication?  I know how to do this on BSDI, 
> 		but on FreeBSD it has always eluded me.  Presume that there
> 		is a spare machine that I can "burn" to have a code base
> 		loaded on (that can be replicated FROM), but that there may
> 		be differences in the hardware (ie: ethernet cards, disk

The only platform variations live in the kernel config file.  Have one
for each machine; kernels are built in seperate directories so there's
no problem there.

> 	c)	Has the "I need to load 'package y' without wiping the box", 
> 		and the companion "I want to add a disk and not do a disktab 
> 		by hand -- since I have a ZBR disk and don't KNOW the right 
> 		values!" problem that has plagued FreeBSD been solved?  

It's possible to use /stand/sysinstall to get a new disk up and running
easily these days.  There were noises about someone cutting the disk
frobbing bits out and making a standalone tool, but I never saw the
results.  
I'm not sure about your 'package y' problem; I don't recall anything
like that ever happening.

> 	d)	How about stability in general?  PCI Ethernet card drivers?
> 		PCI disk drivers?  NFS stability problems (we used to have
> 		those up the wazoo).  Support for >64M without kludges?  Any
> 		surprises I should expect (and benefits of current .vs.
> 		stable, etc)?

Stability is good here (9-5 code development, fileserving small Windows
network, I/O hacking).  If you're using 2940's, you will _definitely_ want
to upgrade to STABLE, as 2.1R has _serious_ problems with these controllers.
I can't answer on the NFS stuff, sorry.  It's impossible to support >64M
without a kludge; I'm sure this has been explained to death before.

-current is lethal at the moment; stay away from it 8)

> Karl Denninger (karl@MCS.Net)| MCSNet - The Finest Internet Connectivity

-- 
]] Mike Smith, Software Engineer        msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au    [[
]] Genesis Software                     genesis@atrad.adelaide.edu.au   [[
]] High-speed data acquisition and      (GSM mobile) 0411-222-496       [[
]] realtime instrument control          (ph/fax)  +61-8-267-3039        [[
]] "wherever you go, there you are" - Buckaroo Banzai                   [[



Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?199602020720.RAA27287>