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
    >
    > _______________________________________________
    > freebsd-isp@freebsd.org mailing list
    > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-isp
    > To unsubscribe, send any mail to
    > "freebsd-isp-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"

    _______________________________________________
    freebsd-isp@freebsd.org mailing list
    http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-isp
    To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-isp-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"

  • Next message: Kurt Jaeger: "Re: src update without console access"

    Relevant Pages

    • Re: outlook on server
      ... I make sure my customers understand up front that they are not ... using the server as a workstation is simply out of the question. ... > I have a client I've had for years now who wouldn't do any maintenance. ...
      (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
    • Re: Remobjects v KBM
      ... >> client query components) follow from that. ... Then, connections can be created to say SQL Server, Oracle, Interbase and ... can then be created from the abstract dataset definition in 'customers' to ... implicitly - this makes your code not be database connection specific). ...
      (borland.public.delphi.thirdpartytools.general)
    • Re: Only 1 MX record?
      ... We use only RBL's, and IMF if it doesn't cause trouble, with customers ... You are saying when you configure a SBS server for a Client. ... Imagine being the backup MX, ...
      (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
    • Re: Public Namespace and Private Network
      ... On other comment - currently today, all my customers access my servers using ... I've learned a lot about DNS in the past week, ... >> I have set up a DNS server for mycompany.com and created a primary zone. ... >> Since most of our customers have Internet access already, ...
      (microsoft.public.windows.server.dns)
    • Re: sbs migration gurus
      ... I don't have any knowledge of a BR based IT Pro to do this work, ... > migration involves installing SBS fresh on the new server? ... I've asked a lot of my customers to be ... I'd actually offer to do the Swing Migration for Param from here. ...
      (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)