Re: too late to change to security branch?

2007-10-04 Thread Kevin Kinsey

Bill Stwalley wrote:

On 9/30/07, Rakhesh Sasidharan [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:


Hi Bill!


I have servers running 6.1 and 6.2.  I use freebsd-update in cron jobs

to

install binary security update to the base system, and use

cvsup/portupgrade

in cron jobs to install port updates.  By default, cvsup uses CURRENT
branch.

The ports system doesn't have any branches. The same tree is used between
all the different FreeBSD branches so you can't just track security
updates only. You track it using portupgrade/ cvsup.

The base system has many branches. In your case, you seem to be following
the security branches for 6.1 and 6.2 using freebsd-update.


I am tired of some updates breaking something unnecessarily, and am

thinking

of changing to SECURITY branch in cvsup.  Is that possible?  Some of my
ports are already locally compiled with customized options.

Maybe you can provide more info on what's breaking?

I use FreeBSD for a couple of headless machines. No X and other stuff, but
I haven't had any breakages so far. *touchwood* Do go though the UPDATING
file to check out any gotchas before updating.

HTH,


- Rakhesh
 http://rakhesh.net/



I'm grateful to all your clarifications, as I feel this operation system is
really supported with care.

Our uw-imap was broken recently for a few days as people could not login, so
I had to switch to dovecot.  Nothing was mentioned in the UPDATING file,
although there was indeed a big update of uw-imap.  I only got relieved
after finding
http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-ports/2007-October/044051.htmlposted
a couple days later.

Things similar to this, although to less extent, did happen once a couple
months, sometimes the postfix and other startup scripts in
/usr/local/etc/rc.d/ will be renamed to postfix.sh or vice verser by port
upgrade, that broke my other scripts.

As everyone appears to suggest against updating ports in cron job and
suggest reading UPDATING instead and then updating by hand, I'm really
curious: Is it practical to do that when you manage a dozen servers?  I
imagine doing that alone would be a substantial job.  However crontab
updated ports do take down services from time to time.

Best, Bill


In the Handbook, Chapter 23.5, is one plan:

http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/small-lan.html

HTH,

Kevin Kinsey
--
APL is a natural extension of assembler language programming;
...and is best for educational purposes.
-- A. Perlis
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Re: too late to change to security branch?

2007-10-03 Thread Bill Stwalley
On 9/30/07, Rakhesh Sasidharan [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:


 Hi Bill!

  I have servers running 6.1 and 6.2.  I use freebsd-update in cron jobs
 to
  install binary security update to the base system, and use
 cvsup/portupgrade
  in cron jobs to install port updates.  By default, cvsup uses CURRENT
  branch.

 The ports system doesn't have any branches. The same tree is used between
 all the different FreeBSD branches so you can't just track security
 updates only. You track it using portupgrade/ cvsup.

 The base system has many branches. In your case, you seem to be following
 the security branches for 6.1 and 6.2 using freebsd-update.

  I am tired of some updates breaking something unnecessarily, and am
 thinking
  of changing to SECURITY branch in cvsup.  Is that possible?  Some of my
  ports are already locally compiled with customized options.

 Maybe you can provide more info on what's breaking?

 I use FreeBSD for a couple of headless machines. No X and other stuff, but
 I haven't had any breakages so far. *touchwood* Do go though the UPDATING
 file to check out any gotchas before updating.

 HTH,


 - Rakhesh
  http://rakhesh.net/


I'm grateful to all your clarifications, as I feel this operation system is
really supported with care.

Our uw-imap was broken recently for a few days as people could not login, so
I had to switch to dovecot.  Nothing was mentioned in the UPDATING file,
although there was indeed a big update of uw-imap.  I only got relieved
after finding
http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-ports/2007-October/044051.htmlposted
a couple days later.

Things similar to this, although to less extent, did happen once a couple
months, sometimes the postfix and other startup scripts in
/usr/local/etc/rc.d/ will be renamed to postfix.sh or vice verser by port
upgrade, that broke my other scripts.

As everyone appears to suggest against updating ports in cron job and
suggest reading UPDATING instead and then updating by hand, I'm really
curious: Is it practical to do that when you manage a dozen servers?  I
imagine doing that alone would be a substantial job.  However crontab
updated ports do take down services from time to time.

Best, Bill
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Re: too late to change to security branch?

2007-09-30 Thread Rakhesh Sasidharan


Hi Bill!


I have servers running 6.1 and 6.2.  I use freebsd-update in cron jobs to
install binary security update to the base system, and use cvsup/portupgrade
in cron jobs to install port updates.  By default, cvsup uses CURRENT
branch.


The ports system doesn't have any branches. The same tree is used between 
all the different FreeBSD branches so you can't just track security 
updates only. You track it using portupgrade/ cvsup.


The base system has many branches. In your case, you seem to be following 
the security branches for 6.1 and 6.2 using freebsd-update.



I am tired of some updates breaking something unnecessarily, and am thinking
of changing to SECURITY branch in cvsup.  Is that possible?  Some of my
ports are already locally compiled with customized options.


Maybe you can provide more info on what's breaking?

I use FreeBSD for a couple of headless machines. No X and other stuff, but 
I haven't had any breakages so far. *touchwood* Do go though the UPDATING 
file to check out any gotchas before updating.


HTH,


- Rakhesh
http://rakhesh.net/
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Re: too late to change to security branch?

2007-09-30 Thread Rakhesh Sasidharan



I run freebsd-update and my cvsup configuration uses *default release=cvs
tag=..  I am actually following security branch, since I do not recompile
the kernel, right?  This cvs tag only matters if I compile the kernel,
right?


If you are using freebsd-update then you are following the security 
branch.


Even if you were using cvs and had to recompile the kernel (coz of some 
patch there) you would still be following the security branch (**if** you 
are tracking the security branch, that is).


In FreeBSD, the base system and the 3rd party apps are separate. The base 
system has the concept of branches. The 3rd party apps (ports) are shared 
amongst all, there's no concept of branches. So you can't just follow 
security updates for the 3rd party apps.


HTH,

- Rakhesh
http://rakhesh.net/
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too late to change to security branch?

2007-09-27 Thread Bill Stwalley
I have servers running 6.1 and 6.2.  I use freebsd-update in cron jobs to
install binary security update to the base system, and use cvsup/portupgrade
in cron jobs to install port updates.  By default, cvsup uses CURRENT
branch.

I am tired of some updates breaking something unnecessarily, and am thinking
of changing to SECURITY branch in cvsup.  Is that possible?  Some of my
ports are already locally compiled with customized options.

If that's impossible, can I wait until the release of 6.3, upgrading to it,
and then switch to SECURITY branch in cvsup?

If those are entirely impossible, can I switch to STABLE branch?

I'm confused by this system, please let me know if anything I do doesn't
make sense.

Best, Bill
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Re: too late to change to security branch?

2007-09-27 Thread Beech Rintoul
On Wednesday 26 September 2007, Bill Stwalley said:
 I have servers running 6.1 and 6.2.  I use freebsd-update in cron
 jobs to install binary security update to the base system, and use
 cvsup/portupgrade in cron jobs to install port updates.  By
 default, cvsup uses CURRENT branch.

 I am tired of some updates breaking something unnecessarily, and am
 thinking of changing to SECURITY branch in cvsup.  Is that
 possible?  Some of my ports are already locally compiled with
 customized options.

 If that's impossible, can I wait until the release of 6.3,
 upgrading to it, and then switch to SECURITY branch in cvsup?

 If those are entirely impossible, can I switch to STABLE branch?

 I'm confused by this system, please let me know if anything I do
 doesn't make sense.

 Best, Bill

There are no other branches of ports except current. The release, 
security, stable and current branches only apply to the system 
itself. The exception being the ports that come with a release are 
just a snapshot of the ports tree at the time the release was rolled. 
While we try our best to avoid breakage, it sometimes happens. My 
suggestion is that if you plan on upgrading something mission 
critical, you might want to try the upgrade on another similar box 
first and test. As for compiling with options not already available 
in the port itself, you are basically on your own. If there is a 
particular option that comes with the sources, but is not a port 
option contact the maintainer of that port. As for doing port updates 
with a cron script it's not recommended. You should always read 
UPDATING before installing anything. Believe me it will save you foot 
shooting.

Beech

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---
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Re: too late to change to security branch?

2007-09-27 Thread Bill Stwalley
On 9/27/07, Beech Rintoul [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 On Wednesday 26 September 2007, Bill Stwalley said:
  I have servers running 6.1 and 6.2.  I use freebsd-update in cron
  jobs to install binary security update to the base system, and use
  cvsup/portupgrade in cron jobs to install port updates.  By
  default, cvsup uses CURRENT branch.
 
  I am tired of some updates breaking something unnecessarily, and am
  thinking of changing to SECURITY branch in cvsup.  Is that
  possible?  Some of my ports are already locally compiled with
  customized options.
 
  If that's impossible, can I wait until the release of 6.3,
  upgrading to it, and then switch to SECURITY branch in cvsup?
 
  If those are entirely impossible, can I switch to STABLE branch?
 
  I'm confused by this system, please let me know if anything I do
  doesn't make sense.
 
  Best, Bill

 There are no other branches of ports except current. The release,
 security, stable and current branches only apply to the system
 itself. The exception being the ports that come with a release are
 just a snapshot of the ports tree at the time the release was rolled.
 While we try our best to avoid breakage, it sometimes happens. My
 suggestion is that if you plan on upgrading something mission
 critical, you might want to try the upgrade on another similar box
 first and test. As for compiling with options not already available
 in the port itself, you are basically on your own. If there is a
 particular option that comes with the sources, but is not a port
 option contact the maintainer of that port. As for doing port updates
 with a cron script it's not recommended. You should always read
 UPDATING before installing anything. Believe me it will save you foot
 shooting.

 Beech

 --

I run freebsd-update and my cvsup configuration uses *default release=cvs
tag=..  I am actually following security branch, since I do not recompile
the kernel, right?  This cvs tag only matters if I compile the kernel,
right?

Thanks, Bill
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