# Updating with freebsd-update and portsnap



## Itproman (Nov 4, 2012)

Speaking of updating, this is a little off topic, but is it ok after installing FreeBSD 9.0, Gnome2, Xorg, Firefox, Samba 3.6, to do a `# freebsd-update fetch install` and `# portsnap fetch extract`, or will that mess up the system?


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## Deleted member 30996 (Nov 5, 2012)

You only run 

`# portsnap fetch extract`

to initially populate your ports tree. To update it anytime thereafter run

`# portsnap fetch update`

It won't hurt anything and you want to keep it up to date as you install programs. I run

`# freebsd-update fetch
# freebsd-update install`

after I've installed everything, but am already up to date at FreeBSD 9.0-RELEASE-p3 if I run it now. As to whether or not it could cause a problem there is at least one thread addressing problems that it has caused lately , but it's never caused one for me.

On the subject of updating ports, just in case you weren't aware of it, it's essential to install /ports-mgmt/portaudit and to run 

`# portaudit -Fda`

on a daily basis to stay current on any vulnerabilities, then use /ports-mgmt/portupgrade to upgrade any ports that it lists as having a vulnerability to the newest version, making sure to update your ports tree before you do so.


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## Sfynx (Nov 5, 2012)

Updating FreeBSD using freebsd-update should not mess up existing userland software when you stay within the same FreeBSD major version (e.g. 9.0 -> 9.1 will be fine, but 8.3 -> 9.0 will require you to rebuild all ports to fix library version bumps).
In case you do need to do extra steps after an upgrade, freebsd-update will tell you about it.

With security updates within a release branch a single `# freebsd-update fetch install` will do the trick (+ a reboot in case /boot/kernel/kernel has been updated).


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