Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2006 07:55:24 -0600 From: Lane <lane@joeandlane.com> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Major Version Upgrade 4.11 to 5.x Message-ID: <200612110755.24757.lane@joeandlane.com> In-Reply-To: <457D063B.2040705@infracaninophile.co.uk> References: <457CDE4B.2050103@summerhost.net> <457D063B.2040705@infracaninophile.co.uk>
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On Monday 11 December 2006 01:18, Matthew Seaman wrote: > listvj wrote: > > I'm interested in upgrading from 4.11 to 5.x. I currently track 4.x > > stable using cvsup, but I've never done a major version upgrade. > > > > First, should I bother? My hardware has dual pentium 1.13 processors > > with 1G ram (I'm considering maxing it out at 4). I host email and web > > sites for a few domains on this machine and I have four jails configured > > on it which will have to be upgraded too. I have users counting > > particularly on mail service not being down for too long. > > > > Other than the obvious advice to start with a good backup, can anyone > > tell me: > > > > 1) Will I gain a major benefit from upgrading > > 2) Where should I look for instructions / advice on upgrading > > 3) Also any general advice from personal experience. > > 4) Just how risky is this? > > Uh -- why upgrade to a branch (5.x) that has already had it's last > release and is worse performing than both 4.x and 6.x? You should > really be looking at upgrading to 6.2-RELEASE just as soon as it > comes out (Real Soon Now). > > As for risk -- for various reasons you will be better off doing a > clean install of 6.x and rebuilding your server from the ground up. > It's no more risky than installing any other server -- unless you > have some legacy binary-only application that you absolutely have > to run, it is virtually certain to succeed. > > You biggest problem would seem to be the downtime required to do > the update -- if you can manage it, probably the least consumer > impact method is building the upgraded system on fresh disks on a > scratch box, and then finishing the upgrade by a disk-swap. Which > also has the added benefit that you have a ready-made back out > path. > > Cheers, > > Matthew Matthew, I agree with your advice to build the new server with a clean install, if only to prevent any sendmail issues. But I'm not so sure I understand your assessment that 5.x is "worse performing than both 4.x and 6.x." While I agree that 6.x is a great improvement in functionality over 5.x, I was not aware of the poor performance record of 5.x. Do you know of any links to benchmark tests, or other data, which would provide some more background on this? That kind of data would greatly influence my opinion in this discussion. Without it I'd be pleased to recommend 5.X, regardless of it's pending "drop dead" date, wrt support. I certainly see no need to chain myself to any software release cycle, nor, it seems, does the original poster. I'm in awe of his patience, and clearly he is satisfied with the product if he remains on 4.11. Thanks, lane ~Still running 5.x
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