The underlying approach of this method -- the freebsd-update utility -- is included in the FreeBSD base system as of this release. Between OS releases, freebsd-update can be used to keep the OS patched for security vulnerabilities. This makes it much easier to maintain continuity of a system while keeping its operating system current and secure. I love to tinker as much as the next guy ... but when it comes to stability, I love freebsd-update.
The system that I upgraded (heffalump) was originally built as a 6.0 system. Using similar upgrade scripts, I subsequently upgraded to 6.1 and 6.2-RC2 without incident.
For my upgrade to 6.2-RELEASE, I followed the steps outlined here, changing 6.1-RC1 to 6.2-RELEASE where appropriate.
[root@heffalump ~]# date
Mon Jan 15 08:38:32 AKST 2007
[root@heffalump ~]# mkdir /usr/upgrade
[root@heffalump ~]# cd /usr/upgrade
[root@heffalump /usr/upgrade]# fetch http://www.daemonology.net/freebsd-update/upgrade-to-6.2.tgz
upgrade-to-6.2.tgz 100% of 18 kB 20 kBps
[root@heffalump /usr/upgrade]# fetch http://www.daemonology.net/freebsd-update/upgrade-to-6.2.tgz.asc
upgrade-to-6.2.tgz.asc 100% of 187 B 878 kBps
[root@heffalump /usr/upgrade]# gpg --verify upgrade-to-6.2.tgz.asc upgrade-to-6.2.tgz
gpg: directory `/root/.gnupg' created
gpg: new configuration file `/root/.gnupg/gpg.conf' created
gpg: WARNING: options in `/root/.gnupg/gpg.conf' are not yet active during this run
gpg: keyring `/root/.gnupg/pubring.gpg' created
gpg: Signature made Sun Jan 14 11:21:59 2007 AKST using DSA key ID CA6CDFB2
gpg: Can't check signature: No public key
[root@heffalump /usr/upgrade]# tar -xzf upgrade-to-6.2.tgz
[root@heffalump /usr/upgrade]# cd upgrade-to-6.2
[root@heffalump /usr/upgrade/upgrade-to-6.2]# sh freebsd-update.sh -f freebsd-update.conf -d /usr/upgrade -r 6.2-RELEASE upgrade
Looking up update.FreeBSD.org mirrors... 1 mirrors found.
Fetching public key from update1.FreeBSD.org... done.
Fetching metadata signature for 6.1-RELEASE from update1.FreeBSD.org... done.
Fetching metadata index... done.
Fetching 2 metadata files... done.
Inspecting system... done.
The following components of FreeBSD seem to be installed:
kernel/generic src/sys world/base world/dict world/doc world/info
world/manpages world/proflibs
The following components of FreeBSD do not seem to be installed:
kernel/smp src/base src/bin src/contrib src/crypto src/etc src/games
src/gnu src/include src/krb5 src/lib src/libexec src/release src/rescue
src/sbin src/secure src/share src/tools src/ubin src/usbin
world/catpages world/games
Does this look reasonable (y/n)? y
Fetching metadata signature for 6.2-RELEASE from update1.FreeBSD.org... done.
Fetching metadata index... done.
Fetching 1 metadata patches. done.
Applying metadata patches... done.
Fetching 1 metadata files... done.
Inspecting system... done.
Preparing to download files... done.
Fetching 3734 patches.....10....20....30....40....50....60....70....80....90....100....110....120....130....140....150....160....170....180....190....200....210....220....230....240....250....260....270....280....290....300....310....320....330....340....350....360....370....380....390....400....410....420....430....440....450....460....470....480....490....500....510....520....530....540....550....560....570....580....590....600....610....620....630....640....650....660....670....680....690....700....710....720....730....740....750....760....770....780....790....800....810....820....830....840....850....860....870....880....890....900....910....920....930....940....950....960....970....980....990....1000....1010....1020....1030....1040....1050....1060....1070....1080....1090....1100....1110....1120....1130....1140....1150....1160....1170....1180....1190....1200....1210....1220....1230....1240....1250....1260....1270....1280....1290....1300....1310....1320....1330....1340....1350....1360....1370....1380....1390....1400....1410....1420....1430....1440....1450....1460....1470....1480....1490....1500....1510....1520....1530....1540....1550....1560....1570....1580....1590....1600....1610....1620....1630....1640....1650....1660....1670....1680....1690....1700....1710....1720....1730....1740....1750....1760....1770....1780....1790....1800....1810....1820....1830....1840....1850....1860....1870....1880....1890....1900....1910....1920....1930....1940....1950....1960....1970....1980....1990....2000....2010....2020....2030....2040....2050....2060....2070....2080....2090....2100....2110....2120....2130....2140....2150....2160....2170....2180....2190....2200....2210....2220....2230....2240....2250....2260....2270....2280....2290....2300....2310....2320....2330....2340....2350....2360....2370....2380....2390....2400....2410....2420....2430....2440....2450....2460....2470....2480....2490....2500....2510....2520....2530....2540....2550....2560....2570....2580....2590....2600....2610....2620....2630....2640....2650....2660....2670....2680....2690....2700....2710....2720....2730....2740....2750....2760....2770....2780....2790....2800....2810....2820....2830....2840....2850....2860....2870....2880....2890....2900....2910....2920....2930....2940....2950....2960....2970....2980....2990....3000....3010....3020....3030....3040....3050....3060....3070....3080....3090....3100....3110....3120....3130....3140....3150....3160....3170....3180....3190....3200....3210....3220....3230....3240....3250....3260....3270....3280....3290....3300....3310....3320....3330....3340....3350....3360....3370....3380....3390....3400....3410....3420....3430....3440....3450....3460....3470....3480....3490....3500....3510....3520....3530....3540....3550....3560....3570....3580....3590....3600....3610....3620....3630....3640....3650....3660....3670....3680....3690....3700....3710....3720....3730.. done.
Applying patches... done.
Fetching 5495 files... done.
The script said "Fetching 5495 files," but since it wasn't providing a progress indicator, I rigged one up in another window:
royce@heffalump$ while true; do ls -1 /usr/upgrade| wc -l; ls -lARt /usr/upgrade | head -2; sleep 1; done
3783
total 50548
-rw-r--r-- 1 root stephb 262982 Jan 15 09:14 ac156aa7853fca9e0c739ce6e0e8691ac9a2a651653e74e69f845a9a91832ca7.gz
When it is finished, the script reports files that it cannot update, files that will be removed, files that will be added, and files that will be replaced. Make specific note of the files that cannot be updated; you will want to manually compare them with the distributed files when you're finished.
The following files are affected by updates, but no changes have
been downloaded because the files have been modified locally:
/etc/devd.conf
/etc/mail/sendmail.cf
/etc/mail/submit.cf
The following files will be removed as part of updating to 6.2-RELEASE-p0:
/etc/periodic/weekly/120.clean-kvmdb
/usr/include/c++/3.4/ext/demangle.h
/usr/lib/libpcap.so.4
/usr/lib/libpthread.so.2
/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/articles/building-products/b378.html
/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/articles/wp-toolbox/x32.html
/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/kernelconfig-nodes.html
/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/mac-examplehttpd.html
/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/mac-labelingpolicies.html
/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/network-bind9.html
/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/porters-handbook/LEGALNOTICE.html
/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/porters-handbook/c1038.html
/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/porters-handbook/c1189.html
/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/porters-handbook/c1234.html
/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/porters-handbook/c19.html
/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/porters-handbook/c190.html
[snip]
The following files will be added as part of updating to 6.2-RELEASE-p0:
/bin/pgrep
/bin/pkill
/boot/kernel/amdsmb.ko
/boot/kernel/geom_md.ko
/boot/kernel/if_ixgb.ko
/boot/kernel/if_stge.ko
/boot/kernel/ipmi.ko
/boot/kernel/linsysfs.ko
/boot/kernel/mfi_linux.ko
/boot/kernel/nfsmb.ko
/boot/kernel/ng_tag.ko
/boot/kernel/ppc.ko
/boot/kernel/rr232x.ko
/etc/freebsd-update.conf
/etc/rc.d/auditd
/etc/rc.d/auto_linklocal
/etc/rc.d/bridge
/etc/rc.d/bthidd
/etc/rc.d/mdconfig
/etc/rc.d/mdconfig2
/etc/rc.d/mountlate
/etc/security/audit_class
[snip]
The following files will be updated as part of updating to 6.2-RELEASE-p0:
/COPYRIGHT
/bin/[
/bin/cat
/bin/chflags
/bin/chio
/bin/chmod
/bin/cp
/bin/csh
/bin/date
/bin/dd
/bin/df
/bin/domainname
/bin/echo
/bin/ed
/bin/expr
/bin/getfacl
/bin/hostname
/bin/kenv
/bin/kill
/bin/link
/bin/ln
/bin/ls
/bin/mkdir
/bin/mv
/bin/pax
/bin/ps
/bin/pwd
/bin/rcp
/bin/realpath
/bin/red
/bin/rm
/bin/rmail
I then performed the first part of the install, which installs the new kernel and supporting files:
[root@heffalump /usr/upgrade/upgrade-to-6.2]# date
Mon Jan 15 09:32:24 AKST 2007
[root@heffalump /usr/upgrade/upgrade-to-6.2]#
[root@heffalump /usr/upgrade/upgrade-to-6.2]# sh freebsd-update.sh -f freebsd-update.conf -d /usr/upgrade install
Installing updates...
Kernel updates have been installed. Please
reboot and run "freebsd-update.sh install" again to
finish installing updates.
I rebooted as instructed:
[root@heffalump /usr/upgrade/upgrade-to-6.2]# shutdown -r now
Shutdown NOW!
shutdown: [pid 96143]
[root@heffalump /usr/upgrade/upgrade-to-6.2]#
*** FINAL System shutdown message from royce@heffalump.prv.tycho.org ***
System going down IMMEDIATELY
System shutdown time has arrived
After reboot, note that we are running a 6.2-RELEASE kernel, but userland has
not yet been updated:
[root@heffalump ~]# uname -a
FreeBSD heffalump.prv.tycho.org 6.2-RELEASE FreeBSD 6.2-RELEASE #0: Fri Jan 12 10:40:27 UTC 2007 root@dessler.cse.buffalo.edu:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC i386
[root@heffalump ~]# ls -la /bin/ps
-r-xr-xr-x 1 root wheel 28728 Jul 2 2006 /bin/ps
We now install the rest of the files that have been changed between 6.1-RC2 and 6.2:
[root@heffalump ~]# cd /usr/upgrade/upgrade-to-6.2
[root@heffalump /usr/upgrade/upgrade-to-6.2]# sh freebsd-update.sh -f freebsd-update.conf -d /usr/upgrade install
Installing updates... done.
[root@heffalump /usr/upgrade/upgrade-to-6.2]# date
Mon Jan 15 09:45:17 AKST 2007
Another reboot, and now our kernel and userland match:
royce@heffalump$ uname -a
FreeBSD heffalump.prv.tycho.org 6.2-RELEASE FreeBSD 6.2-RELEASE #0: Fri Jan 12 10:40:27 UTC 2007 root@dessler.cse.buffalo.edu:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC i386
royce@heffalump$ ls -la /bin/ls
-r-xr-xr-x 1 root wheel 23444 Jan 15 09:37 /bin/ls
Once my download of ISO for disc1 is complete, I'll look at the three straggling files (/etc/devd.conf,/etc/mail/sendmail.cf, and /etc/mail/submit.cf) and merge any changes as appropriate.
