# Upgrade FreeBSD on gateway server



## Dane (Feb 15, 2014)

I'm trying to upgrade version from 8.1 to 8.4. When I run the command `portmaster -af` it says

```
===>>> Launching child to reinstall db41-4.1.25_4

===>>> All >> db41-4.1.25_4 (44/44)

===>>> Currently installed version: db41-4.1.25_4
===>>> Port directory: /usr/ports/databases/db41

        ===>>> This port is marked DEPRECATED
        ===>>> Please use databases/db5 or db6 for new installs.


        ===>>> If you are sure you can build it, remove the
               DEPRECATED line in the Makefile and try again.

===>>> Update for db41-4.1.25_4 failed
===>>> Aborting update

===>>> Killing background jobs
Terminated
===>>> Exiting
```
What can I do with that?


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## wblock@ (Feb 15, 2014)

Read /usr/ports/UPDATING, entry 20131217.  It explains how to switch to one of the new versions.


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## ericx (Feb 19, 2014)

I'm going to guess that you are trying to update the FreeBSD operating system itself and not the ports that were installed on top of it? Ports are 3rd party programs outside of the FreeBSD core. e.g.: `emacs`, `bash`, `apache`, etc. These programs are maintained by non-FreeBSD organizations and the ports system is there to facilitate their installation on FreeBSD. I'm a little rusty on 8.x, but the command `pkg_info -a | less` should show you a list of all the separate ports currently installed on your machine.

`portmaster` as the name implies is a tool to aid in maintaining those ported applications on your FreeBSD. It will not upgrade your FreeBSD operating system. The command: `portmaster -af` will attempt to force a rebuild of all previously installed ports upgrading where possible. This is probably not a good idea on a production machine. (ymmv)

If you want to upgrade the FreeBSD operating system itself, please see: http://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/updating-upgrading.html and /usr/src/UPDATING (not the same as /usr/ports/UPDATING). Please do NOT attempt this for the first time on a production machine. If you only have the one machine to work with, consider building a 2nd just to experiment with (virtual machines are great for this).


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