Bug 12777

Summary:	3.1 RELEASE -> 3.2 upgrade is incomplete, leaves system unusable
Product:	Base System	Reporter:	wayne <wayne>
Component:	i386	Assignee:	jkh
Status:	Closed FIXED
Severity:	Affects Only Me
Priority:	Normal
Version:	Unspecified
Hardware:	Any
OS:	Any

Description wayne 1999-07-23 16:10:00 UTC

System was running 3.1 RELEASE, GENERIC kernel, no significant local
modifications.  Used /stand/sysinstall to upgrade.  3 issues:
1) No /kernel was installed.  Old kernel was moved to /kernel.prev,
   new kernel was in /kernel.GENERIC.  No /kernel at all.
2) sysinstall claimed to plan to reboot the machine on exit.  It did
   not.  In light of the above this is a better failure.
3) Password routines were foobarred.  logins were accepted just fine but
   it was impossible to change one's password, su to root or run sudo.
   Only solution was to reboot with console access in single user mode,
   boot kernel.GENERIC, link /kernel.GENERIC to /kernel and reboot again

How-To-Repeat: Install 3.1 release 
run /stand/sysinstall
choose upgrade

Comment 1 Sheldon Hearn freebsd_committer

1999-07-23 22:33:52 UTC

State Changed
From-To: open->feedback

Just to clarify, you're saying you used /stand/sysinstall as installed 
by 3.1-RELEASE to upgrade to 3.2-RELEASE? I ask because it's always been 
my understanding that you need the sysinstall supplied with any given 
release or snapshot to install that release or snapshot. The Upgrade 
option in 3.1-RELEASE sysinstall is three for those who want to upgrade 
_to_ 3.1-RELEASE, not _from_ it. :-)

Comment 2 Sheldon Hearn freebsd_committer

1999-07-23 22:33:52 UTC

Responsible Changed
From-To: freebsd-bugs->sheldonh

I'll take this one, it looks like pilot error.

Comment 3 Sheldon Hearn 1999-08-11 13:06:29 UTC

On Tue, 10 Aug 1999 23:50:02 -0400, "Michael R. Wayne" wrote:

> Well, it makes it VERY hard to upgrade servers that are many miles away.

Not really. Build and install the correct sysinstall from source on the
remote machine.

> Personally, I can't imagine that it's all that hard to fix the upgrade
> process (right now it fails to install a kernel, making the machine
> essentially useless).

You'll probably find that it's harder than you expect, because each new
release comes out with new features that sysinstall needs to be made
aware of.

> I just wanted to build the upgrade package, not a Gig of stuff!
> I don't care WHAT is used to upgrade, so long as it can be done
> remotely.

There _is_ no "upgrade package". Perhaps you should look at the
FreeBSD Handbook section called "The Cutting Edge: FreeBSD-current and
FreeBSD-stable". I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

> To the best of my knowledge, there is NO SAFE WAY to upgrade a
> machine to a new release w/o physical access.  

That's correct, but not in the way that you mean it. The problem is that
a dud kernel will make it difficult for you to bring the machine back
up. However, assuming the kernel is sound, upgrading from source is
"safe".

Ciao,
Syheldon.

Comment 4 Sheldon Hearn freebsd_committer

1999-10-01 12:54:28 UTC

State Changed
From-To: feedback->open

Feedback was provided.

Comment 5 Sheldon Hearn freebsd_committer

1999-10-01 12:54:28 UTC

Responsible Changed
From-To: sheldonh->jkh

Jordan, this is the one we discussed, where sysinstall's Upgrade 
option can be misinterpreted as a feature that allows the use of 
an exinsting installed sysinstall to upgrade the system to a  
later release of FreeBSD, for which the installed sysinstall was not 
designed.

Comment 6 Sheldon Hearn freebsd_committer

1999-12-13 16:35:22 UTC

State Changed
From-To: open->closed

A fat warning has been added to UPGRADE.TXT, which is displayed 
as soon as you select the Upgrade menu option.  That's about the 
best we can do, given that some people actually don't care too 
much about this problem, because they're prepared to do 
the fixups later 

This'll make it into 3.4-RELEASE, as rev 1.1.4.3.