old habits die hard; update/upgrade approach

_martin

_martin

I've been using FreeBSD since 4.x. Since 5.x I started using cvsup to build world/kernel and ports to install software. Jails were also using ports. As time went I switched to svn and later git.
This approach was applied to either VM or physical boxes. cvsup->build->reboot, build packages, build packages in jail. Sometimes packages pulled dependencies I could have lived without (clang/gcc with very minor version updates, etc..). I've never had issues with kernel/world builds. I had some headaches with ports, nothing too serious.

There were few factors that played a role in the decision to change this habit.

With the 12.4 upgrade (done online as a fresh install to a new dataset on rpool) I decided to skip custom kernel/world build and use binary packages only. Main host is using quarterly packages, jails latest. My PF is no longer doing traffic shaping, that used to be one of the reasons to have custom kernel.

While I don't have enough mileage on this setup yet so far so good. It was a bit hesitant to go this way. After all old habits die hard. :)

Did you change something regarding the FreeBSD administration you were used to do differently for many years ?
 
_martin said:
Did you change something regarding the FreeBSD administration you were used to do differently for many years ?
Click to expand...
My first machine with FreeBSD did something similar, cvsup ->build->reboot, build packages in jail, update host with those packages. Still sort of do this on one machine but I have acquired a lot more hardware in my homelab over the years. I'm not limited to one machine to run FreeBSD on.

So, 3 machines (2 'servers' and 1 'desktop') run the latest -STABLE version. I build world/kernel from source, very much the 'old-school' way on those. But I have a bunch of other machines (several VMs too) now and keeping them all updated with -STABLE became quite a chore. So they all run a -RELEASE version, much quicker and easier to update. I use one -STABLE machine to build packages with ports-mgmt/poudriere-devel and have custom repositories for -STABLE and -RELEASE versions I want or need to run. I really need to get some better hardware for it, a "clean" full build for everything takes a couple of days to complete ?
 
SirDice said:
everything takes a couple of days to complete ?
Click to expand...
I had poudriere on my eye for some time (years!) but somehow never found time to get familiar with. I used "force", let it all compile independently. To cut update times due to gcc/clang packages I usually built it on one system, created package and redistributed to others. But got tired of this approach too. Most of the times updates were done during the night and it was semi-automatic so I didn't care too much.

The only thing I do miss in packages is the lack of option to have debug symbols. It's not something I can't live without but for sure would be nice to have (without a need to compile the package myself).

Funny thing though. Our DC changed power/cooling policy, they are using complicated "magic" to bill you. While it's not horribly more expensive to compile packages for all systems and jails it does save you some (beer) money when you avoid it.
 
_martin said:
I had poudriere on my eye for some time (years!) but somehow never found time to get familiar with. I used "force", let it all compile independently. To cut update times due to gcc/clang packages I usually built it on one system, created package and redistributed to others.
Click to expand...
While it might take a couple days to complete, there's nothing for me to do, it's all automated and running without any input from me. As it's also on a separate machine I can simply do other things on my desktop, like play a game or muck around with any of my other hardware. That little old machine just chugs along in the meantime.
 
Used FreeBSD as a primary since I think maybe around version 8.something. Around version 12.1-RELEASE I took the plunge and converted most of my workflow to using an artifact server with poudriere--it's definitely helped streamline a lot of fleet updates (though for me, rust and node dependencies take the longest). I am still stuck with compiling custom kernels for IPFW/IPDIVERT each update for now--I haven't looked around to see if I can streamline that any further.
 
Been using FreeBSD since 8.0/9.0 days. Always used buildworld/build kernel to upgrade even though everything is standard. Now I am running a server with 6 jails for different services. I have poudriere running in my windows 10 desktop inside a hyperv instance which the host and jails use for pkg upgrade.
Recently I converted from stable to release to use the FreeBSD upgrade process and yet to test it.
I can't remember why but I had issues with pkgs before due to certain pkgs lacking in features I specifically needed. So always used ports as long as I remember.

I am still nervous of using freebsd-upgrade, hope it all goes well when it's time for 13.2.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top