# Very mysterious message from freebsd-update



## piggy (Dec 21, 2011)

Never seen before.


```
<piggy@freebsd8vm>/home/piggy # sudo freebsd-update fetch
Looking up update.FreeBSD.org mirrors... 4 mirrors found.
Fetching metadata signature for 8.2-RELEASE from update5.FreeBSD.org... done.
Fetching metadata index... done.
Inspecting system... done.
Preparing to download files... done.

No updates needed to update system to 8.2-RELEASE-p4.

WARNING: FreeBSD 8.2-RELEASE-p3 is approaching its End-of-Life date.
It is strongly recommended that you upgrade to a newer
release within the next 2 months.

<piggy@freebsd8vm>/home/piggy # uname -a
FreeBSD freebsd8vm 8.2-RELEASE-p3 FreeBSD 8.2-RELEASE-p3 #0: Tue Sep 27 18:07:27 UTC 2011     root@i386-builder.daemonology.net:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC  i386
```
It definitely makes no sense to me.


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## jrm@ (Dec 21, 2011)

See this thread: http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?t=28120&highlight=freebsd-update.


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## piggy (Dec 21, 2011)

jrm said:
			
		

> See this thread: http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?t=28120&highlight=freebsd-update.


The strange behaviour for me is it say I do have p3 release, then it say I do have nothing to upgrade also if p4 release exist and then it say p3 is end of life.

It totally makes no sense because it won't allow me to upgrade to p4 even if I do have p3. It says nothing to upgrade.

Very very strange.


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## kpa (Dec 21, 2011)

It's because the -p4 update didn't include a new kernel, the kernel still says -p3 if you look at the output of uname(1) while the "world" is now at -p4 with the installed updates.


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## jrm@ (Dec 21, 2011)

To see the patch level take a look at /usr/src/sys/conf/newvers.sh.


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## piggy (Dec 22, 2011)

kpa said:
			
		

> It's because the -p4 update didn't include a new kernel, the kernel still says -p3 if you look at the output of uname(1) while the "world" is now at -p4 with the installed updates.


Mmmm... so how can I get -p4 "world" level?

This attitude makes little sense to me and it is surely confusing.


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## kpa (Dec 22, 2011)

You can compile and install the kernel yourself, you'll need the system sources from the RELENG_8_2 branch:

`# csup -L 2 -h cvsup.freebsd.org /usr/share/examples/cvsup/standard-supfile`
(If you already have up to date sources then the above step is not needed, I just can't remember how well freebsd-update(8) keeps
/usr/src up to date, I'm not using it myself).

`# cd /usr/src`
`# make buildkernel`
`# make installkernel`
`# shutdown -r now`

And that's it.


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## piggy (Dec 22, 2011)

kpa said:
			
		

> You can compile and install the kernel yourself, you'll need the system sources from the RELENG_8_2 branch:
> 
> `# csup -L 2 -h cvsup.freebsd.org /usr/share/examples/cvsup/standard-supfile`
> (If you already have up to date sources then the above step is not needed, I just can't remember how well freebsd-update(8) keeps
> ...


Thanks! It was I think from Freebsd FreeBSD 3 way back in like 1995, I didn't compile and build kernel myself. Stock kernel simply works on all my systems. Then I still think it is incoherent to have the end user do this step to have a fully patched system. This attitude still makes no sense to me.


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## mix_room (Dec 22, 2011)

piggy said:
			
		

> Mmmm... so how can I get -p4 "world" level?



You already have it. 
World is version 'p4' while the kernel is at version 'p3' 
Freebsd-update updates two portions. Your kernel and the base-world. If there is no new kernel installed, the output of [cmd=""]uname[/cmd] is not updated. That can be expected.


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## DutchDaemon (Dec 23, 2011)

Here is one of the many discussions there have been about this.


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## piggy (Dec 23, 2011)

mix_room said:
			
		

> You already have it.
> World is version 'p4' while the kernel is at version 'p3'
> Freebsd-update updates two portions. Your kernel and the base-world. If there is no new kernel installed, the output of [cmd=""]uname[/cmd] is not updated. That can be expected.


The fact that you can expect it, and I can't expect it even if it is like 15 years or maybe more I do use Freebsd FreeBSD, it still not makes it logic. They should upgrade the kernel too even if there is no new kernel, or if it is not critical, they should not differentiate between kernel and world. Obviously IMHO.

BTW, this is first time I do face this problem, and I never ever think about it before.


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## gkontos (Dec 23, 2011)

piggy said:
			
		

> ...it still not makes it logic. They should upgrade the kernel too even if there is no new kernel...



Does this sound logical to you?


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## kpa (Dec 23, 2011)

It makes sense to me because the only source for the patch level information is the kernel and the output of `$ uname -a`, now you're left wondering if the update was actually installed or not.


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## gkontos (Dec 23, 2011)

Maybe you are correct. Because I feel like a moron when I suddenly get 4 security updates that I have to patch on a Friday night :\


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## Beastie (Dec 23, 2011)

gkontos said:
			
		

> I suddenly get 4 security updates that I have to patch on a Friday night :\


Five actually. 
http://security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-11:06.bind.asc
http://security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-11:07.chroot.asc
http://security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-11:08.telnetd.asc
http://security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-11:09.pam_ssh.asc
http://security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-11:10.pam.asc

And now it's *RELEASE-p5* (or *p3* in *uname*).


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## gkontos (Dec 23, 2011)

Nice, are we good with 5 because I have already started patching ...


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## piggy (Dec 23, 2011)

gkontos said:
			
		

> Does this sound logical to you ?


What's the sense to recompile and install the same kernel (non modification, just a recompilation to get the update revision number) just to have the same patching level between world and the kernel?


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