HOWTO: Convert from RELEASE to STABLE

youngunix

youngunix

HOWTO: Convert FreeBSD 9-RELEASE to 9-STABLE (can be used with FreeBSD 8)

WARNING: Backup, backup, backup! Did I say it enough times?!

1. Update your current 9-RELEASE

# freebsd-update fetch && freebsd-update install

2. Install Subversion if you haven't already:

+ Using ports:
# cd /usr/ports/devel/subversion
# make install clean

+If the ports tree is not available, Subversion can be installed as a package:
# pkg_add -r subversion

+If pkgng is being used to manage packages, Subversion can be installed with it instead:
# pkg install devel/subversion

3. Move, rename, or delete the existing /usr/ports and /usr/src:

# mv /usr/ports /usr/ports.bak
OR
# rm -rf /usr/ports/*
AND
# mv /usr/src /usr/src.bak
OR
# rm -rf /usr/src/*

4. Checkout:

# svn checkout [URL]https://svn0.us-west.FreeBSD.org/base/stable/9/[/URL] /usr/src
# svn checkout [URL]https://svn0.us-west.FreeBSD.org/ports/head[/URL] /usr/ports

5. Update:

# svn up /usr/src
# svn up /usr/ports

6. Rebuild and install world and kernel:

# cd /usr/src
# make buildworld
# make buildkernel
# make installkernel
# shutdown -r now
--------------------------------------------------------------
At the boot option screen, choose #2 (single user) then:
+If using UFS:
# mount -u /
# mount -a -t ufs

+If using ZFS:
# zfs set readonly=off zroot
# zfs mount -a

+Then:
# adjkerntz -i
# mergemaster -p
# cd /usr/src
# make installworld
# mergemaster -UiF
# yes | make delete-old
# yes | make delete-old-libs
# cd /usr/obj && chflags -R noschg * && rm -rf *
# reboot
--------------------------------------------------------------
+If using UFS:
[S]# mount -u /[/S]
[S]# mount -a -t ufs[/S]

+If using ZFS:
[S]# zfs set readonly=off zroot[/S]
[S]# zfs mount -a[/S]

[S]# make delete-old-libs[/S]
[S]# reboot[/S]
--------------------------------------------------------------
7. Add your GPU driver to loader.conf (in my case: nvidia):

# vi /etc/default/loader.conf (and add nvidia_load="YES")
OR
# vi /etc/loader.conf
# reboot

8. Check your installation:

# uname -a

NOTE: Don't use freebsd-update, it only works with RELEASE.

Suggestions by @wblock@:
I suggest using -Ui with mergemaster(8). After the first run, it saves a lot of time. Also, it's not a bad idea to set it to skip over /etc/master.passwd in /etc/mergemaster.rc:
Code: 
IGNORE_FILES='/etc/master.passwd'

This will cause surprises when new default users are added, like the auditdistd user recently, but it's better than the surprise of accidentally overwriting all the user passwords.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Slight nitpick. I always do adjkerntz -i before remounting the root filesystem in read/write mode. This is because I want to be sure that any timestamps that are possibly written on the filesystems are correct.

Also, you can do make delete-old-libs right after make delete-old without rebooting in between, the end result is the same.
 
Step 1, using freebsd-update(8), is not necessary.

I suggest using -Ui with mergemaster(8). After the first run, it saves a lot of time. Also, it's not a bad idea to set it to skip over /etc/master.passwd in /etc/mergemaster.rc:
Code: 
IGNORE_FILES='/etc/master.passwd'

This will cause surprises when new default users are added, like the auditdistd user recently, but it's better than the surprise of accidentally overwriting all the user passwords.
 
@kpa: I try to keep it noob proof and basic and according to the results I got, which is a perfectly working environment. However, if anyone would like to try it that way, they are welcome to.
@wblock@: I used freebsd-update(8) for the "Just-In-Case" purpose. It can be ignored if one chooses to do so.
As for the suggestions, they can be very usefull, adding them now.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yes, with the appropriate changes to the checkout branch names. The short version is "check out the stable branch, build from source, and install".
 
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