Updating FreeBSD 8.3 on a remote machine

D

Doug

Hello
I would like to update a minimal FreeBSD 8.3-RELEASE installation to a more recent 8.3 version on a server that is not connected to the Internet. The reason is to get a more recent CISS driver to see it resolves issues I am having with a server failing.

I was looking at building a VM with 8.3 and using freebsd-update fetch to fetch the files onto my VM then copying them to a USB and over to the non-Internet server where I might be able to use freebsd-update install to update the server.

Will the freebsd-update fetch retrieve more up to date drivers or loadable modules in this case and if so what directory will I need to move over to the new server?

Or am I on the wrong track altogether.

Thanks in advance.
 
I would do a source-based upgrade using a pre-built /usr/obj (built on the VM) and transfer the /usr/src and /usr/obj directories on the USB media to the target machine.
 
Howdy

I think I understand you. I have been looking at what you mean by "I would do a source-based upgrade " and I from what I can see this requires that I get SVN and run this command svn checkout [url]http://svn.FreeBSD.org/base/stable/8[/url] /usr/src as explained in this URL to get the most recent stable code: http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/svn.html.

Then at some stage in the command steps below copy /usr/obj and /usr/src to the other machine and complete the steps.

I am not sure at what stage in the steps below to "using a pre-built /usr/obj (built on the VM) and transfer the /usr/src and /usr/obj directories on the USB media to the target machine. "
Code: 
# cd /usr/src
# make buildworld
# make buildkernel
# make installkernel
# shutdown -r now
Have I understood what you were saying or am I on the wrong track?

Thanks.
 
Do the buildworld and buildkernel on a fast host. Then just tar it up and transfer to your machine.

tar -zcvf src.tgz /usr/src
tar -zcvf obj.tgz /usr/obj

Once transfered and unpacked you can do the installworld/installkernel/mergemaster(8) on that host.
 
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