# Upgrading Using DVD: Will it Munge My HDD?



## TheGuyGuy (Jun 28, 2009)

Okay, I've upgraded FreeBSD many times before, but it's been so long since I've done it, that I've forgotten everything.

Right now I have 6.1-PRERELEASE installed and it has been running for a long time. I'm ready to spend the time to get 7.2-RELEASE going.

In the interim, freebsd-update has come about, and I've been trying to use it to do the so-called binary update, but it's been littered with problems. I don't think I can do it from 6.1-PRERELEASE, and I'm quite tired of trying.

So I made an install DVD for 7.2 which works fine, but now I'm super paranoid. If I upgrade to 7.2 this way, will it overwrite my hard drive? I don't care about ports -- I can reinstall those (in fact I probably should). But I don't want to lose any of my personal data, I don't want to lose any port configuration files, and I don't want to lose anything else which cannot be reproduced. All these things are scattered about all over the HDD and I'll be damned if I remember where any of it is.

So if I upgrade the OS using the DVD (and sysinstall), will it wipe away all my data? (Yes, I have it backed up, but still.) The install/upgrade instructions in the Handbook aren't clear on what exactly happens to your HDD if you want to keep your former slices/partitions.

If it will, then I guess I'll have to do the custom kernel build thing (which I've been trying to avoid).

Thanks for the info,

Curry


----------



## graudeejs (Jun 29, 2009)

TheGuyGuy said:
			
		

> So if I upgrade the OS using the DVD (and sysinstall), will it wipe away all my data? (Yes, I have it backed up, but still.) The install/upgrade instructions in the Handbook aren't clear on what exactly happens to your HDD if you want to keep your former slices/partitions.
> 
> If it will, then I guess I'll have to do the custom kernel build thing (which I've been trying to avoid).
> 
> ...



It' depends how you will do it. If you're carefull you can disable formatting of your bsd labels that contain data in sysinstall.

It's pretty easy actually.
I suggest you run qemu, install base system, make some garbage data, and then try to upgrade. that way you will be able to learn to avoid, destruction of data.

Just don't destroy any slice and take a closer look at label editor. By default all labels will be without mountpoint. you can remove your system labels, and leave your data label. then make labels for system, and apply mountpoint for your data.

It's real simple, try on qemu, you'll see


----------



## harishankar (Jun 29, 2009)

Best way is to take a backup of your home directory along with the configuration files to a DVD or an external drive and then install without any worries


----------



## hedwards (Jun 30, 2009)

As a general rule, I suggest disconnecting any hard disks that you're not planning to touch during the installation. And backing up the entirety of the disk.

It's definitely overkill, but it greatly reduces the likelihood that you'll install onto the wrong disk.


----------



## TheGuyGuy (Jul 2, 2009)

*Thanks*

Thanks for the input, everyone. Turns out I was paranoid for nothing. Upgrading was a snap. The only thing I had to do (i.e. write down) which was non-trivial was the size of each of my disk labels/partitions, and where each were mounted. I had to reproduce that in the label editor. After that, I just answered all the upgrade questions and it upgraded fine.

Now, onto the next challenge.. Getting X to work on my laptop!!

Curry


----------

