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Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:14:42 -0400
To: Vince Sabio <vince@vjs.org>
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Cc: FreeBSD <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Subject: Upgrade v5.x to v7.0
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Vince Sabio writes:

>  I am currently running FreeBSD v5.1 (yes, I am a Bad Person(tm)),

	Why?

>   and need to update it to v7.0. Questions:
>  
>  1. Can I go straight from v5.1 to v7.0? Or do I need to make a
>  stop at v6.x? 

	It is probably technically possible.
	However: when jumping major versions, my advice is always "If
possible, install from clean disk."
	On the down-side, it is moderately more work than upgrading.
	On the up-side:

	1) if something goes Horribly Wrong, you're not screwed
	2) you will avoid library version conflicts, and indeed reclaim
		space used by orphaned libraries (and other files)
	3) if desirable, you can re-size partitions

	Others are left as an exercise to the reader.
	In either case: remember to save critical config files
(rc.conf, the kernel config, sshd_config, the named directory, etc.)
elsewhere.


				Robert Huff