Recommended Way To Update Old Systems To Current Versions

[Esa Karkkainen]

On Tue, May 09, 2017 at 04:57:09PM +0000, Drew Tomlinson wrote:
> So what is the recommended way to upgrade?

First the FreeBSD, nowadays using freebsd-update, then ports/packages.

If these computers have small root filesystem, then you may have to
compile a custom and possibly monolithic kernel. The kernel modules and
debug symbols do not fit into a 3.x or 4.x era root filesystem.

> Binary first?

This should be documented in the handbook, but this is the rough outline
how to do it:

1. update kernel, using freebsd-update and reboot possibly to single user
2. update userland, using freebsd-update
3. fetch new ports tree using portsnap
4. install pkg and possibly portmaster/portupgrade 
5. convert from pkg to pkgng,
6. update or reinstall all ports/packages
7. optionally remove old libraries, using freebsd-update

> Then I’d have a current system upon which to build?
> Is there a guide to which you can point me?

FreeBSD:
https://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/updating-upgrading-freebsdupdate.html

Ports/packages:
https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/pkgng-intro.html

and /usr/ports/UPDATING

> Any help appreciated as I’d rather not screw this up. ;)

I'd build a test system or systems and make sure that I have restorable
backups :)

Esa

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