docs/84154: Handbook somewhat off in use of /boot/kernel.old

[John Baldwin]

On Wednesday 27 July 2005 01:57 am, Gary W. Swearingen wrote:
> >Number:         84154
> >Category:       docs
> >Synopsis:       Handbook somewhat off in use of /boot/kernel.old
> >Confidential:   no
> >Severity:       non-critical
> >Priority:       low
> >Responsible:    freebsd-doc
> >State:          open
> >Quarter:
> >Keywords:
> >Date-Required:
> >Class:          doc-bug
> >Submitter-Id:   current-users
> >Arrival-Date:   Wed Jul 27 06:00:32 GMT 2005
> >Closed-Date:
> >Last-Modified:
> >Originator:     Gary W. Swearingen
> >Release:        FreeBSD 5.4-RELEASE i386
> >Organization:
>
> none
>
> >Environment:
>
> n/a
>
> >Description:
>
> The handbook's concept of /boot/kernel always being moved to
> /boot/kernel.old is wrong (in two places).  The move is only
> made if the currently running kernel came from /boot/kernel/.
>
> >How-To-Repeat:
>
> n/a
>
> >Fix:
>
> -- In section 8.3 Building and Installing a Custom Kernel,
>
> change
>    The new kernel will be copied to the /boot/kernel directory as
>    /boot/kernel/kernel and the old kernel will be moved to
>    /boot/kernel.old/kernel.
> to
>    The new kernel and modules will be copied to the /boot/kernel directory
>    but that directory will first be moved in place of /boot/kernel.old
>    if the currently running kernel came from "/boot/kernel".

How about:


The new kernel and modules will be copied to the /boot/kernel directory.  If 
the currently running kernel came from "/boot/kernel", then the old kernel 
and modules will be moved to the /boot/kernel.old directory.

> -- In section 8.6, under "The kernel does not boot",
>
> change
>              You cannot rely on
>              kernel.old because when installing a new kernel,
>              kernel.old is overwritten with the last installed kernel
>              which may be non-functional.
> to
>              Standard kernel builds write to /boot/kernel, with
>              that directory first moved in place of /boot/kernel.old
>              if the currently running kernel came from /boot/kernel.

I haven't read the full doc for context, but it looks like the replacement 
text doesn't actually replace the same meaning.  The reason for kernel.old 
only getting updated if the kernel being installed is running is to try to 
make kernel.old more reliable as in theory it should always be a kernel that 
was running well enough to do an installkernel now.  Probably the surrounding 
section here needs more updating to reflect that larger change.

-- 
John Baldwin <jhb at FreeBSD.org>  <><  http://www.FreeBSD.org/~jhb/
"Power Users Use the Power to Serve"  =  http://www.FreeBSD.org