On 05/03/11 15:09, David Steiner wrote: > On Sun, 01 May 2011 11:07:25 -0400 > Nick Holland <n...@holland-consulting.net> wrote: ... >> "sounds dangerous". Perhaps you would like to explain what magic bit >> of knowledge you have that the rest of us lack? > > it says so in the FAQ: http://openbsd.org/faq/upgrade49.html > > "Upgrading without install kernel > This is NOT the recommended process. Use the install kernel method if > at all possible!" > > couple sentences later: > > "Stop any appropriate applications: During this process, all the > userland applications will be replaced but may not be runnable, and > strange things may happen as a result." > > so it's not recommended and strange things may happen if you're not > careful.
so your conclusion is... DO SOMETHING TOTALLY WACKED which is CLEARLY less supportable and more likely to result in unexpected road trips. Bad idea. "strange things" = services stop running, funny messages on console (which you can't see) and logs (which you weren't going to read). Oh, the horror. The OS will run merrily along, so you should be able to complete the process. >> upgradeXX.html is on its 14th version now. It is how I upgrade almost >> all my machines (I save a token few for bsd.rd to make sure it works), >> it's basically how everyone with a remote system without a console >> upgrades their systems. It works, both in practice and in theory. >> You are trying to solve a NON-PROBLEM. > > well i'm glad it's been working for you. i'm not against this method in > any way, just being cautious in upgrading remote boxes. therefore i > prefer the bsd.rd method and am looking for a way to do this without > console. until there's a proper "solution", i'll keep on using the > TRIED-AND-TESTED OpenBSD method (tm). The point of using bsd.rd to upgrade isn't anywhere nearly so much that everything is shut down, it's that you have CONSOLE to deal with unhappy events, should they occur. If PF locks you out of the system, you can fix it with console. If your NIC doesn't come up due to new firmware you forgot to install, you can fix it with console. Disks come up in wrong order? you can boot bsd.rd and fix it with console. New release not compatible with your hardware? well, you might be able to tweak ukc> with console. At least with console you have some idea why things didn't work. BUT, you don't have console. That's ok, I don't have console on a lot of my machines, either. *You aren't going to make a more robust upgrade process than the "unpack and go" without console*. Even if your magic automated bsd.rd process were to exist and run perfectly, virtually all the things that could cause a problem with the upgrade would STILL bite you in the butt, plus since your process will certainly introduce NEW points of failure, you have new ways to have things blow up which won't be fixed without console. btw: the "unpack everything and reboot" is basically the same process used when you build the system from source, 'cept you are replacing binaries on the running only as fast as you can compile 'em. So everyone who has compiled -current from source has tested this process (granted, if they are following instructions, they are using only a few days difference in source vs. running code, and if they are building -stable, they are running binary compatible code). You are looking down the barrel of a BB gun, not liking it, and trying to replace it with a .38. Missing the point. Nick.
