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Date:      Sun, 14 Oct 2001 10:58:06 -0500
From:      Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org>
To:        swear@blarg.net (Gary W. Swearingen)
Cc:        "Doug Reynolds" <mav@wastegate.net>, questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: cvsup
Message-ID:  <15305.46606.130325.710925@guru.mired.org>
In-Reply-To: <s6r8s6rhfy.8s6@localhost.localdomain>
References:  <15304.58886.215474.233433@guru.mired.org> <s6r8s6rhfy.8s6@localhost.localdomain>

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Gary W. Swearingen <swear@blarg.net> types:
> Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> writes:
> > After that, you reboot to insure that the new kernel will boot. If it
> > fails for some reason, backing out the kernel is pretty easy, and you
> > have your old, running system to rebuild things on.
> ...
> 
> That makes sense.  If the old world isn't compatible with the new
> kernel, it will probably still boot and run enough to give you
> confidence to install the new world, mergemaster, and final reboot.
> (Your kind of detailed explanation wouldn't be bad in the handbook.)

I'll consider submitting a pr....

> I wonder if, with today's huge disks, it wouldn't be good to have
> an option in the build software that keeps the old kernel, the old
> world, and the old config files (during a make kernel world merge)
> somewhere where it could be easily restored (or maybe just choosen) from
> the boot prompt.

The two build processes don't touch the the running system in any
way. installkernel already saves the old kernel and modules as
kernel.old and modules.old. An option for mergemaster to save /etc
would probably be easy, and useful; a note to DougB@FreeBSD.org or a
PR with patches (it's a perl script) would be the thing to make that
happen. Personally, I just run an incremental backup before doing the
installworld/mergemaster step.

Saving world - that's a bit harder.

> (Also: Aren't there EVER problems booting a good new
> kernel with an old world - even when just booting to single user?  Do
> you sometimes HAVE to install new kernel and new world at same time?)

That brings up a point I meant to mention, but forgot. The only
supported configuration is a kernel and world built together. However,
changes are incremental, so the more frequently you do the builds, the
less likely you are to have problems running a kernel and world from
different builds. Conversely, the longer you wait, the more likely you
are to have problems.

To answer your question, the only thing that has to work to boot
single user is the shell. I'd expect the shell from an X.0 to work on
any X.Y. Across versions - it gets a bit more difficult. Which is why
you seen people recommending going to 3.latest before trying to go to
4.0.

	<mike
--
Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org>			http://www.mired.org/home/mwm/
Q: How do you make the gods laugh?		A: Tell them your plans.

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