Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:11:49 -0500 From: Paul Schmehl <pschmehl_lists@tx.rr.com> To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Cc: Miroslav Lachman <000.fbsd@quip.cz> Subject: Re: challenge: end of life for 6.2 is premature with buggy 6.3 Message-ID: <549F093490ADB6BC7F6AA5D1@utd65257.utdallas.edu> In-Reply-To: <48486659.6040007@quip.cz> References: <9B7FE91B-9C2E-4732-866C-930AC6022A40@netconsonance.com> <200806051023.56065.jhb@freebsd.org> <CE0D857CF3C54017B29052F0@utd65257.utdallas.edu> <200806051910.20319.pieter@degoeje.nl> <3E1DBCBBB1C614B1DBD0F166@utd65257.utdallas.edu> <48486659.6040007@quip.cz>
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--On Friday, June 06, 2008 00:19:05 +0200 Miroslav Lachman <000.fbsd@quip.cz> wrote: > Paul Schmehl wrote: > >> --On Thursday, June 05, 2008 19:10:19 +0200 Pieter de Goeje >> <pieter@degoeje.nl> wrote: >> >>> >>> There's a really easy way to test this. Build & install a new kernel, but >>> keep the old kernel around (by default it's in /boot/kernel.old). If the >>> problem is gone, do the upgrade as usual. If it's still there, you know >>> upgrading won't fix it and you don't waste time; simply rename >>> kernel.old to >>> kernel. This even works with 7.0 provided that you leave >>> COMPAT_FREEBSD6 in >>> the kernel configuration file. >> >> >> It's not quite that simple. To do that, I have to block out time to >> drive 45 miles during my supposed "off" hours and do the upgrade there. >> Because, if it breaks networking and I'm at home, the server will be >> down for at least an hour until I can drive to the hosting company, get >> access to the server and restore the old kernel. >> >> Again, I'm not complaining. Just sayin' that sometimes stuff ain't >> quite as easy to do as folks who are surrounded by hardware and test >> platforms assume it is. > > I fully understand your situation, but I think there is still way to try... > You can use `nextboot` command. If you install new kernel in to > /boot/kernel.new/ directory, just use: nextboot -k kernel.new and then reboot > the server. New kernel will be used for this (and only this) cycle. So if > something goes wrong and you have any possibility to reboot server again (PDU > or by phone call to collocation), you will be back with old good kernel > without need to travel. > > I did it a few times and it saved me ;) Thank you. I was unaware of the nextboot command. That's a valuable tidbit that I will benefit from. Thank you very much. -- Paul Schmehl As if it wasn't already obvious, my opinions are my own and not those of my employer.
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