DaemonForums  

Go Back   DaemonForums > OpenBSD > OpenBSD General

OpenBSD General Other questions regarding OpenBSD which do not fit in any of the categories below.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1   (View Single Post)  
Old 14th May 2008
jwhal jwhal is offline
Port Guard
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 20
Default -stable question

I've skimmed through the FAQ's, but still have a dumb question-
Will downloading src, sys, xenocara, ports and patches manually, applying the patches, then building result in the same thing as updating via CVSUP? The idea being upgrading to -stable. I may just be overcomplicating this (been a *very* long week).

jwhal
Reply With Quote
  #2   (View Single Post)  
Old 14th May 2008
jggimi's Avatar
jggimi jggimi is offline
More noise than signal
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 7,975
Default

It can be confusing. No worries.

-Release+errata is not quite the same as -stable. The -stable flavor includes errata patches, as well as some additional patches for stability that are not deemed critical enough to be published on the errata web page.

If you are using -release+errata, you need not use any CVS client, including CVSup; the -release source is available from the CD set or your nearest mirror.

If you are using -stable, then a CVS client is necessary.

Common CVS tags:
-release: OPENBSD_X_Y_BASE
-stable: OPENBSD_X_Y
-current: none, or HEAD
CVS clients are used only to obtain the appropriate version of the source. You would then still need to build the kernel, userland (or individual components, if using errata), and X (or components, if using errata) as needed.

Last edited by jggimi; 14th May 2008 at 04:40 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #3   (View Single Post)  
Old 14th May 2008
BSDfan666 BSDfan666 is offline
Real Name: N/A, this is the interweb.
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2,223
Default

To extend upon jggimi's excellent explanation, an example of how -STABLE differs from -RELEASE+patches, the recent 25 year old BSD *dir() bug only made it into -STABLE.

I confess, I don't follow -STABLE, I'm a patch fiend.. but I might consider it in the future..

I'm not brave enough to run -CURRENT ..

Last edited by BSDfan666; 14th May 2008 at 04:49 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #4   (View Single Post)  
Old 14th May 2008
jggimi's Avatar
jggimi jggimi is offline
More noise than signal
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 7,975
Default

It seems to me that a decision to backport any -current patch to -stable is fairly easy:
Does this fix something in -release? Or does this fix something in -current or add new functionality there?
The decision of whether or not to add a -stable fix to the errata page is probably much more of a judgment call. As I'm not a developer, I don't have insight into how that decision is made, but I am guessing each proposed errata is discussed by those responsible for the area concerned, and a consensus is formed.

I see -stable patches as they appear in the source-changes@ mailing list, but I have never counted them and compared the number to errata patches.

----

@bsdfan:

Some folks who run -current never build a kernel or userland. They just upgrade from snapshot to snapshot. The mergemaster package makes upgrades manageable -- and now with sysmerge(8), mergemaster may be dropped. Also, the availability of "snapshot packages" may mean that unless there's a synchronization issue, these lazy people don't even have to build a port.

Last edited by jggimi; 14th May 2008 at 05:11 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #5   (View Single Post)  
Old 14th May 2008
lvlamb's Avatar
lvlamb lvlamb is offline
Real Name: Louis V. Lambrecht
Spam Deminer
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: .be
Posts: 221
Default

Call me the lazy one
I upgrde every couple of months from snapshots.
Just check the dates of both snapshot packages and binary packages to have them both available for a given date. Also watching misc@ for hints.
Or, when http://openbsd.org/plus.html has an issue I am concerned with.
Anyway, the working secure OS is -current.
Release or -stable are badly chosen words.
If I am correct, to run postgresql 8.3, I need -current anyway.

Fwiw, I multiboot my production server. I only switch the snapshot to a newer one after a week-end's test on normal load.
Downtime is just limited to the speed of your hard drive.
__________________
da more I know I know I know nuttin'
Reply With Quote
  #6   (View Single Post)  
Old 14th May 2008
jwhal jwhal is offline
Port Guard
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 20
Default

Thanks for the respones. I don't plan on running -current.
Is either of the two methods more recommended than the other?
Are there any issues with compatibility of ports/packages with either method? I'm guessing no, unless you're running -current?
Reply With Quote
  #7   (View Single Post)  
Old 14th May 2008
jggimi's Avatar
jggimi jggimi is offline
More noise than signal
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 7,975
Default

I believe -stable is easier than -release+errata. You can have your CVS client update things via /etc/daily.local or /etc/weekly.local, and then you run your kernel or userland build script as appropriate. See a patch added to source? Run the appropriate build. Whereas with errata patches, you have to manually apply each.
Reply With Quote
  #8   (View Single Post)  
Old 14th May 2008
jggimi's Avatar
jggimi jggimi is offline
More noise than signal
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 7,975
Default

And as for port/package sync, you should never have that trouble with -release/-stable, as libraries are never updated.
Reply With Quote
  #9   (View Single Post)  
Old 14th May 2008
BSDfan666 BSDfan666 is offline
Real Name: N/A, this is the interweb.
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2,223
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by jwhal View Post
Thanks for the respones. I don't plan on running -current.
Is either of the two methods more recommended than the other?
Are there any issues with compatibility of ports/packages with either method? I'm guessing no, unless you're running -current?
Switching to stable will mostly require that you recompile the kernel+user land, the -STABLE ports tree was discontinued, so the -RELEASE packages are the ones you'll need.

If you use -STABLE, it'll require that you check for updates every few weeks...

I'm not going to recommend one over the other, -STABLE might be manageable, (far more then -CURRENT), but -RELEASE+patches only requires that you peek at the errata page every now and then.

Use your own judgement I guess..
Reply With Quote
Old 15th May 2008
jwhal jwhal is offline
Port Guard
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 20
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BSDfan666 View Post
the -STABLE ports tree was discontinued, so the -RELEASE packages are the ones you'll need.
Good point. I forgot about that. I guess at this point I won't bother with the patching. My machine isn't a mission critical box. Was simply furthering my knowledge.

Thanks for all the good replies!

jwhal
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
external drive partition question + fdisk question gosha OpenBSD General 15 15th June 2009 02:00 PM
-Release vs. -Stable guitarscn OpenBSD Installation and Upgrading 3 2nd October 2008 02:32 PM
aaccli - stable carpman FreeBSD Ports and Packages 0 9th July 2008 03:04 PM
Running -stable and using packages ai-danno OpenBSD Installation and Upgrading 4 4th June 2008 03:18 AM
OpenBSD -STABLE BSDfan666 OpenBSD General 6 21st May 2008 10:10 PM


All times are GMT. The time now is 09:16 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content copyright © 2007-2010, the authors
Daemon image copyright ©1988, Marshall Kirk McKusick