# How to compare an existing, old, FreeBSD installation against latest RELEASE version.



## balanga (Nov 26, 2022)

I have wasted a considerable of time trying to update existing FreeBSD installations because of problems with `freebsd-update` being unable to successfully retrieve all the required patches for one reason or another, so have been wondering about overlaying a RELEASE  version of the system over the existing system, and wondering how to identify any customisations made since the original system was installed.

Has anyone attempted to try and do this? 

Apart from /boot and /etc which directories are likely candidates to have been customised?


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## tux2bsd (Nov 26, 2022)

/usr/local/
(you most likely already knew this)


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## Phishfry (Nov 26, 2022)

/var/db/freebsd-update/files.updated
var/db/freebsd-update/files.added


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## Vull (Nov 27, 2022)

update freebsd 12 to 13 at DuckDuckGo
					

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.




					duckduckgo.com


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## VladiBG (Nov 27, 2022)

You can upgrade from source and merge all changes using etcupdate. Check the handbook for more details.


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## mer (Nov 27, 2022)

/usr/local/etc  lots of ports/packages have their config there.


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## Alain De Vos (Nov 27, 2022)

etcupdate will write into /etc.
ports & packages into /usr/local & /usr/local/etc.
freebsd-update will write into /bin,/sbin,/usr/bin,/usr/sbin,etc ...


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## balanga (Nov 27, 2022)

VladiBG said:


> You can upgrade from source and merge all changes using etcupdate. Check the handbook for more details.


Thanks. Never heard of etcupdate() before


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## balanga (Nov 27, 2022)

mer said:


> /usr/local/etc  lots of ports/packages have their config there.


A fresh install of FreeBSD doesn't put anything in /usr/local so I don't need to worry about overwriting anything there.

That's one of the great things about the design of FreeBSD, it keeps the base OS separate from applications.


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## balanga (Nov 27, 2022)

Vull said:


> update freebsd 12 to 13 at DuckDuckGo
> 
> 
> DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.
> ...


As I mentioned, I have had a great deal of problems using `freebsd-update` so am looking for an alternative.


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## balanga (Nov 27, 2022)

I've noticed that a number files differ between 13.1 and 12.2 simply in terms of the first line although the files are essentially the same, ie 12.2 includes version/releng info whereas 13.1 just has *# $FreeBSD$ * on the first line.

Is there any way to tell diff() to treat two files as being the same if they only differ in this regard?


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## fernandel (Nov 27, 2022)

I am using freebsd-update and I never did and I never saw in the instructions to use `etcupdate`. And I am doing the same from version 6.?.


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## VladiBG (Nov 27, 2022)

You don't need to use etcupdate(8) when you are performing binary upgrade using freebsd-update(8). When you are using STABLE or CURRENT which can't be upgraded via freebsd-update your option is to perform an upgrade using the source and merge all configuration changes with etcupdate(8). If you are using FreeBSD from version 6 then most likely you are more familiar with mergemaster(8) which was the tool to merge those configurations back then.









						Chapter 25. Updating and Upgrading FreeBSD
					

Information about how to keep a FreeBSD system up-to-date with freebsd-update or Git, how to rebuild and reinstall the entire base system, etc




					docs.freebsd.org
				




Also before the update always read /usr/src/UPDATING  and release notes from https://www.freebsd.org/releases/


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## Alain De Vos (Nov 28, 2022)

I use etcupdate without any parameters.


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