freebsd-update(8) and custom kernels

[Aram Hăvărneanu]

Hello,

The FreeBSD handbook claims that freebsd-update(8) will leave custom
kernels alone, and that if using a custom kernel it will update
/boot/GENERIC to the release kernel if it exists. It also hints
that it uses this /boot/GENERIC for upgrades between releases,
allowing you to install your custom kernel post-upgrade after you
will have rebuilt it.

This is not what's happening at all, instead freebsd-update(8) is
trashing custom kernels without warning. There have been several
threads about this on the mailing list. The only conclusion I have
been able to draw from them is that the handbook is out of date.
Apparently the current, undocumented behavior dates back at least
six years.

So, is it possible to track -RELEASE using freebsd-update(8) and
still use custom kernels? Of course I can remove "kernel" from
"Components" in freebsd-update.conf and then freebsd-update(8) won't
overwrite my kernel, but I would imagine I won't be able to upgrade
between releases that way, since freebsd-update(8) will not provide
an intermediary newer n+1 GENERIC kernel to boot the new n+1 release.

What's the solution here? Is there one?

Thanks,

-- 
Aram Hăvărneanu