FreeBSD patch question

[Bill Vermillion]

In the last exciting episode of the freebsd-security-request at freebsd.org saga 
on Fri, Sep 26, 2003 at 12:02 , freebsd-security-request at freebsd.org as heard to say:

> ------------------------------

> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 21:52:32 +0200
> From: "Devon H. O'Dell" <dodell at sitetronics.com>
> Subject: Re: FreeBSD Patch question

[Much deleted - wjv]

> The handbook recommends that one drop into single user mode to
> build the world. While this is certainly best practice, it is
> by no means absolutely necessary.

Can you point this out - I've just looke at the handbook
and I do NOT find anything like that in there.  I see installworld
in single, but not buildworld.  This is from the handbook - note
that it >recomends< installworld in single - though on my remote
machines I've not had that luxury.

========================================
   Beginning with version 2.2.5 of FreeBSD (actually, it was first created on
   the FreeBSD-CURRENT branch, and then retrofitted to FreeBSD-STABLE midway
   between 2.2.2 and 2.2.5) the world target has been split in two:
   buildworld and installworld.

   As the names imply, buildworld builds a complete new tree under /usr/obj,
   and installworld installs this tree on the current machine.

   This is very useful for 2 reasons. First, it allows you to do the build
   safe in the knowledge that no components of your running system will be
   affected. The build is ``self hosted''. Because of this, you can safely
   run buildworld on a machine running in multi-user mode with no fear of
   ill-effects. It is still recommended that you run the installworld part in
   single user mode, though.

   Secondly, it allows you to use NFS mounts to upgrade multiple machines on
   your network. If you have three machines, A, B and C that you want to
   upgrade, run make buildworld and make installworld on A. B and C should
   then NFS mount /usr/src and /usr/obj from A, and you can then run make
   installworld to install the results of the build on B and C.

   Although the world target still exists, you are strongly encouraged not to
   use it.

========================================

> End of freebsd-security Digest, Vol 27, Issue 4

Bill
-- 
Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com