# Re-use of an older install DVD



## sprock (Sep 29, 2015)

Hello,

Is is possible to install a version of FreeBSD that differs from the one on the install DVD or must I burn some plastic?  I would like to install 10.2-RELEASE from 10.0-RELEASE.

Thanks,
sprock


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## satanae666 (Sep 29, 2015)

You can install 10.0-RELEASE and perform upgrade to 10.2-RELEASE:
`freebsd-update -r 10.2-RELEASE upgrade`
see https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/updating-upgrading-freebsdupdate.html

But iI recommend to use clean install. You can use FreeBSD memstick IMG and boot from memstick:
https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/bsdinstall-pre.html


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## sprock (Sep 29, 2015)

satanae666 said:


> You can install 10.0-RELEASE and perform upgrade to 10.2-RELEASE:
> 
> ```
> freebsd-update -r 10.2-RELEASE upgrade
> ...



Thanks.  Installing and upgrading was my initial plan.  I was asking because my first tries at installing 10.0 returned a "files not found error".  I assumed this was because 10.0 is obsolete.  I tried again just now using a different ftp server  and the files are downloading presently.

I have a 10.1 install USB stick but the hardware is a MacPro which does not recognise my thumb drive.

Thanks agaiin.

sprock


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## Wozzeck (Sep 29, 2015)

If you want to upgrade an existing system from 10 to 10.2 there is absolutely no problem and you don't need a DVD for that just a piece of plastic with some copper to connect to Internet, refer to the "upgrading" section of the forum.

If you want to install from scratch a new system with a DVD to another version... it will be difficult as the DVD will likely miss some necessary tools as subversion

In fact the good policy is to create a usb key .

Invest in a fast USB3 key of 60 GB as a Sandisk Extrem. You install and configure a minimalist FreeBSD system with a light desktop environment as LXDE or XFCE, you integrate a bunch of utilities... ntfs-3g, Lynx, mc commander ...

- This key will be used in the future as a "Rescue Environment" to help you resolve problems on various FreeBSD installs that don't start anymore, but also on Windows. I can use a FreeBSD key to also diagnose some Windows system in failure, to reset Hard Drive by writing "zero" with dd...

- you will carefully update and upgrade this key to the last version, so when you have a new install to do you just need to duplicate your key on the target system, and so some basic configurations will be already done, you know that a minimalist  desktop will run quickly, just recompile and adapt some drivers..

Eventually I can also use the process below if I want to do a totally clean install or install another branch of FreeBSD, but you must follow a manual process, and I guess this is not what you want.

Boot a FreeBSD USB with devel/subversion installed. With subversion you will be able to download on the new hard drive the /usr/src in the last revision for a given FreeBSD release/branch.

And after... this is a bunch of  commands


```
cd /usr/src
make buildworld
make buildkernel
make installkernel
make distribution
```

etc etc ..

If you feel your current install "buggy" following several power failures and hard disconnection, as far as your system is still booting you can refresh your current install by recreating a brand new /usr/src with subversion directory and building, reinstalling world and kernel.


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## sprock (Sep 30, 2015)

Thanks Wozzek.  I will files this away for future reference.   Unfortunately, right now I'm installing on a MacPro, which does not recognise my bootonly USB key.
sprock


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