RE: src update without console access

From: Per Engelbrecht (per_at_xterm.dk)
Date: 09/13/04

  • Next message: Kurt Jaeger: "Re: src update without console access" 
    Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 12:25:54 +0200 (CEST)
To: <freebsd-isp@freebsd.org>

    Hi Patrik

    Maybe I didn't make myself clear, if so, sorry.
    It's not the update/install procedure itself that's causing the problem
    at all.

    When running 'installworld', 'mergemaster -p' and 'mergemaster' the
    server needs to be in single-user mode.
    That is not possible for out customers! They often sit on the other side
    of the world on a ssh connection and in single-user mode you don't
    have ssh.That's the problem!

    I use BSD only (Open, Free and a single Net) for our infracture/setup
    (bgp, dns, ntp, mail et al.) in our datacenter. No problem - I have
    consol access all the time for the things I can't do via ssh.

    At first we only offered Tux-boxes. Now we offer fbsd boxes as well. Now
    these customers need to update their servers from any location.

    respectfully
    /per
    per@xterm.dk

    >> The problem is that customers don't have console access while in
    >> single-user mode ! (can't run installworld, mergemaster)
    >> I've tested an upgrade from a running system (killing
    >> sendmail first, no
    >> attached users) with poor result .. 'mergemaster -p' and
    >> 'mergemaster'
    >> only found a diff in /etc/motd and 'uname -a' didn't show any
    >> system changes after a reboot.
    >
    > I've ran FreeBSD for quite some time and usaly you dont need acual
    > console access to the server to update it. The only problem I've
    > ran into so far is updating from FreeBSD 5.0 to 5.2.1 .. for some
    > reason the tcsh update didnt work and crunched the whole
    > installation... anyways... Normally I simply run
    > mergemaster -p
    > make buildworld
    > make buildkernel [KERNCONF="XYZ"]
    > make installkernel [KERNCONF="XYZ"]
    > make installworld
    > mergemaster
    > reboot
    >
    > which usally works very good..
    > But there are no guarantee that this wont crash the system to a
    > non-working state where the only solution is a complete re-install.
    >
    >> In obsd I'm used to run a "clean" cvs, building and installing
    >> from a running system. I can't expect customers to go through that
    >>
    >> procedure so
    >> I was hoping that any you guys could help me with a solution for
    >> the customers?
    >
    > As far as I know there are no other options.. you might want to
    > take a look at the port "security/freebsd-update" I've not used it
    > myself tho. You can find information about it here
    > <http://www.daemonology.net/freebsd-update>.
    >
    > Best Regards,
    > Patrik
    >
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