Roland Smith wrote: > On Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 01:33:50PM -0400, PJ wrote: > >> I have been struggling for about 4 days trying to prepare 2 computers to >> update to 7.2 with no success whatsoever. >> The more I read the instructions, the less I understand. >> And almost nothing works as it should >> Some background: >> I have been using FreeBSD as a LAN server (for files storage & web >> development/backup etc. and part desktop for more than 10 years. I have >> never had great success when it comes to installation but have managed >> to get it running and have even kept on v. 4.10 for archiving older >> sites I have had. >> The older methods of upgrading worked well enough even though they were >> somewhat lengthy. >> Last week I finally managed to set up an Acer Travelmate 4400 amd64 with >> FreeBSD 7.2 and even got everything right. For the first time I was able >> to get Flash & Shockwave to work on a FreeBSD installation. >> With a bit of help from this list. Thanks, guys. >> However, I have not been able to figure out how a custom kernel could be >> set up nor how the new modular system works. Haven't found any coherent >> explanations. >> >> But now I have the following problems: >> PROBLEM 1. I freebsd-update fetch did not get the security patches or >> whatever else it should - all I got was error: configuration file not found >> > > Does /etc/freebsd-update.conf exist? > > >> PROBLEM 2. There seems to be some confusion about how to update and keep >> current the ports - portsnap seems to work in concert with portversion; >> there are some problems when one uses portsnap as there are with cvsup. >> The two seem necessary since some errors inn installing cannot be >> handled by both... >> If, for example, it is necessary to delete the port completely and >> reinstall it, portsnap just does not do it. I does not see that the port >> direcotry is empty; cvsup does and fills it in so the error can be >> correcte and the port properly installed. >> > > Portsnap only updates the ports tree (the directories under /usr/ports), > not the installed ports themselves. You'll need either > /usr/ports/ports-mgmt/portupgrade or /usr/ports/ports-mgmt/portmaster to > keep installed ports up to date. I prefer portmaster since it doesn't > depend on a separate database as portupgrade does. Depending on how long > it has been since you've updated your ports and the speed of your > machine, updates can indeed take a long time. You could choose to use > pre-built packages instead of compiling from source, to speed things up. > > >> PROBLEM 3. I always have been running with a custom kernel. So, to >> upgrade I am supposed to provide the GENERIC kernel in /boot. Ok, I went >> through that process as per manual instructions. >> > > Did you check that the GENERIC kernel that you built was installed as > /boot/kernel/kernel? > > >> Had to reboot as I needed to transfer some downloaded files from the >> 7.1 box to the 7.0 box for port upgrading. >> > > It is unclear to me why you should have to reboot to transfer > files... If you want to e.g. connect two machines with an ethernet > cable, are you aware that you can use the scripts in /etc/rc.d to stop > and restart networking? > > And why not just transfer files with a USB thumbdrive? > > >> That was a mistake. Nothing indicated that I could >> not reboot without screwing things up... of course, I should have known >> better; but I'm prone to that kind of error. But I'm pretty sure that >> the automatic upgrade would not have worked anyway as it doesn't work on >> the machine with 7.0 installed. >> > > Without a more thorough description of the steps that you followed, > there is not really a lot others can do to help you. From your > description it is totally unclear what has gone wrong. > > >> Booting on this 7.1 machine is now impossible. I tried to boot from the >> install CD but that only made it worse. As I understood the instruction >> it would upgrade the machine, but I understand now that it just doesn't >> work that way... it has to be upgraded from a 7.2 CD. That I don't have >> at the moment. >> So the boot now just says: >> Invalid format >> FreeBSD/i386 boot >> Default: 0:ad(0,a)/boot/kernel/kernel >> boot: >> - >> > > Type ? at the boot prompt to see a list of files in the root directory > of the default boot device. Read the boot(8) manual page. > > It could be that something went wrong with your disk. Mabye the slices > or partitions were deleted. > > >> PROBLEM 4. The machine with 7.1 - after a complete ports upgrade, I tried >> # freebsd-update -r 7.2-RELEASE upgrade >> and I get the famous no configuration file found. >> > > Does this configuration file (see above) exist? > > >> Somehow, I don't recall that being indicated anywhere in the manual. Oh, >> I did read it... several times... and the more I read it, the more I >> didn't understand anything - from mergemaster to the configuration file >> to the modular kernels ... >> Maybe someone could explain to me just exaclty how is one supposed to >> deal with the upgrading and customizing the kernel. Should one (I) be >> simply using the GENERIC kernel and then expect the upgrading to be as >> simple as it seems to sound? >> > > If you want a custom kernel, I find it more convenient to upgrade from > source. > > >> And just what advantage (speed wise I suppose) is there to use the >> custom kernel? >> > > A custom kernel will save some boot time because it doesn't probe for > devices that aren't built-in or loaded as modules. > > There are some things (options) in the kernel that you cannot load as modules, > they need to be compiled in. E.g. the scheduler, or if you want to use > device polling instead of interrupts. See e.g. /sys/i386/conf/NOTES for > options and devices that are not part of the GENERIC kernel. > > >> Maybe the easiest is to just install the 7.2 fresh; but that would take >> the fun out of beating my head against an already cracked wall for >> upgrading and would take probably as long to reinstall all the 644 or so >> programs. >> > > I don't think you have to reinstall all programs. Just restore > /usr/local and /var/db/pkg from backup. You did make a full backup > before trying to upgrade, I hope? If not, I trust you remember to do so > in the future... > > Contrary to what the handbook says, you do not always have to reinstall > all ports when updating the system. It is definitely necessary when > updating to another major version (6.x -> 7.x), but when updating to > another minor version (7.1 -> 7.2) it is usually not necessary (unless > /usr/src/UPDATING says differently). > > >> On the 7.1 machine, I don't really want to lose all the files I have on >> there... most have been saved and none are really that important... but >> "just in case". >> > > Not to put too fine a point on it, but that is why you should make > regular backups of all your important data. > > Roland > Thanks for the response, Rolland, I think I have unraveled this stuff a bit. I haven't checked for the config file yet as I am using the MS portion of this machine. I think I can fix the 7.1 machine with a boot disk for 7.2. That is what is not very clear in the manual. I now see that before you do the upgrade (that is, BEFORE) you have to cvsup the 7.2 release ports and sources. I tried to upgrade the 7.1 from a 7.1 disk... so now, I'll try with the 7.2. I generally lilke to do my updates over the net and not from the disk and I assume (falsely, I see now) that the idea of upgrade is not programmed into the manual or the files to mean from a lower branch to a higher one... :'( Anyway, I think I'll be allright... Will repost if I solve this thing. PJ
-- Hervé Kempf: "Pour sauver la planète, sortez du capitalisme." ------------------------------------------------------------- Phil Jourdan --- p...@ptahhotep.com http://www.ptahhotep.com http://www.chiccantine.com/andypantry.php _______________________________________________ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
