On Tue, Dec 02, 2003 at 03:01:36AM +0100, Denis Fortin wrote:i frequently do
Greetings,
I've Google'd a bit, but I cannot find a "survival guide to upgrading a FreeBSD system remotely".
The Handbook's procedure is excellent (cvsup to the RELENG branch and then make'ing world), but it requires going into single user mode and using the console, two things which may not be possible in the context of a server sitting unattended in a hosting center 10000 kilometers away.
Has anyone written a quick guide on issues that can arise in this kind of situation? (For instance, one the the issues is that one might end up with a bad kernel: have people devised a way for the boot code to interact with "reboot -k xxx" to revert to the default kernel after an unsucessful boot, or after a specific time?)
Although its not recommended to do this, it can be done. It basicaly comes down to following the manual (without rebooting into single usermode) and be very very carefull. Read everything you need to read, run every command you need to run and have someone sitting there in case it goes wrong.
Note: I've never done this on a busy system.
#make buildworld #make buildkernel #make installkernel reboot #make installworld #mergemaster #reboot
on a small-ish trafficed site. and indeed it has bit me in the ass before. but it *usually* works. this is not saying it will for you, but it has for me in the past.
-- "Yesterday upon the stair I saw a man who wasn't there, he wasn't there again today, oh how i wish he'd go away"
Rev. Jonathan T. Sage Lighting / Set Designer Professional Web Design [HTTP://thr.msu.edu] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [PGP: www.keyserver.net]
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