From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Jun 23 15:49:01 2015 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@nevdull.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::19:1]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher AECDH-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 0BC6E2B8 for ; Tue, 23 Jun 2015 15:49:01 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [67.158.26.137]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (Client CN "wonkity.com", Issuer "wonkity.com" (not verified)) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id B1879CE8; Tue, 23 Jun 2015 15:49:00 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by wonkity.com (8.14.9/8.14.9) with ESMTP id t5NFmwVq070685 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 bits=256 verify=NO); Tue, 23 Jun 2015 09:48:58 -0600 (MDT) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost) by wonkity.com (8.14.9/8.14.9/Submit) with ESMTP id t5NFmwwc070682; Tue, 23 Jun 2015 09:48:58 -0600 (MDT) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2015 09:48:58 -0600 (MDT) From: Warren Block To: Matthew Seaman cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: getting ports updated on an older FreeBSD (5.1) In-Reply-To: <558917BC.30804@freebsd.org> Message-ID: References: <5587E158.2020702@physik.rwth-aachen.de> <20150622160929.GC92373@ozzmosis.com> <558911D3.4030109@physik.rwth-aachen.de> <558917BC.30804@freebsd.org> User-Agent: Alpine 2.20 (BSF 67 2015-01-07) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-4.4.3 (wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Tue, 23 Jun 2015 09:48:58 -0600 (MDT) X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.20 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2015 15:49:01 -0000 On Tue, 23 Jun 2015, Matthew Seaman wrote: > On 06/23/15 08:59, Christoph Kukulies wrote: >> Although you may be right with regard to obsoleteness of 5.0.0 and my >> 5.1 version in general, >> I'm wondering whether it would be possible to >> run a 10.1 executable under 5.1 (possible link it statically?). > > 5.1 Release happened during a particularly difficult period for FreeBSD > development. As I recall, it was quite quickly superseded by 5.2 release > due to technical inadequacies, and it wasn't until the 6.x series that > FreeBSD really got back on track. > >> At the moment I'm urgently in need to update an intranet forum (pbpBB3) to >> a 3.1.5 version and this requires a newer (>= 5.3.3) version of php. > > Your quickest and most reliable way forward is to upgrade your FreeBSD > box to something supported. Given you're starting from such an old > base, the way I'd approach this is to buy a new hard drive, install it > in parallel with your old drive (if possible) and then create a new > install of FreeBSD 10.1, install all the software you need and migrate > over the configurations, passwd file etc. from the old system. Agreed, except I would suggest a completely separate computer for the new install. Old stuff that has been running for years can be fragile. Moving a cable that has been motionless for years can make it fail, and it's somehow a given that these systems are never backed up. Given the age of the 5.1 system, replacement hardware is probably easily available (free), or a VM can be used. The old system can be imaged onto a second drive or partition on the new system for convenience of copying configurations, or just copy them from the live old system with rsync or scp.