# SunBlade 100 7.2-RELEASE works but no freebsd-upgrade?



## stoomaroo (Feb 19, 2010)

I have successfully built my SunBlade 100 with FreeBSD 7.2-Release, and successfully built my own kernel.

*uname -a *   : gives >>


```
FreeBSD sun.somebody.ca 7.2-RELEASE FreeBSD 7.2-RELEASE #0: Wed Feb 10 23:10:20 EST 2010     [email]root@sun.somebody.ca[/email]:/usr/obj
/usr/src/sys/MY_FIRST_SUN  sparc64
```

However, when trying to run a 


```
freebsd-update fetch install
```

it always fails with :

```
sun# freebsd-update fetch install
Looking up update.freebsd.org mirrors... 3 mirrors found.
Fetching public key from update2.freebsd.org... failed.
Fetching public key from update4.freebsd.org... failed.
Fetching public key from update5.freebsd.org... failed.
No mirrors remaining, giving up.
```

All ports are open (FTP/HTTP(s)/SSH) to obtain any code (I control the firewall)...however, is freebsd-update supported for sparc64???

-stoomaroo


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## DutchDaemon (Feb 19, 2010)

Try a forum search next time ... one thread before yours:
http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?t=11401


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## stoomaroo (Feb 20, 2010)

*I guess google doesn't search this forum...*

I spent a couple hours on google trying to find that answer...so I joined here looking.

Oh well, next time I hope...


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## stoomaroo (Feb 20, 2010)

Well in that case...how are sparc64 kernel updates propagated? always re-building the kernel?

-stoomaroo


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## DutchDaemon (Feb 20, 2010)

Just get the sources and rebuild OS and kernel. The Handbook has more. Check out csup(1) for getting the sources, /usr/share/examples/cvsup/ for examples, and /usr/src/Makefile (the '11 steps') for rebuilding OS and kernel.


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## DutchDaemon (Feb 20, 2010)

stoomaroo said:
			
		

> I spent a couple hours on google trying to find that answer...so I joined here looking.
> 
> Oh well, next time I hope...



Really? All posts to this forum are actively pushed out to Google within seconds. Searching for 'freebsd-update sparc64' shows the aforementioned topic (and this one).


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## stoomaroo (Feb 22, 2010)

*11-steps...*

DutchDaemon,

the 11-steps I assume are the handbook section 24.7 http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/makeworld.html (steps 24.7.1 thru 24.7.11 -- assuming the "Reboot" step does not count)?

If so, excellent...lights are coming on.

-stoomaroo


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## DutchDaemon (Feb 22, 2010)

The procedure in /usr/src/Makefile (the 11 steps I referred to) is a bit more precise, though I use my own version of it:  http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?p=53974#post53974


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## stoomaroo (Feb 22, 2010)

*Assuming...*

I imagine this 11-step assumes a successful [CMD=]csup[/CMD] (done), [CMD=]portsnap fetch update[/CMD] (done), and documentation set update (done).

So far - so good.  Now back to the sparc64 limitation:

The handbook says (section 24.2):



> ...Patches had to be applied to the source code, the code rebuilt into binaries, and then the binaries had to be re-installed.
> 
> This is no longer the case as FreeBSD now includes a utility simply called freebsd-update.



As [CMD=] freebsd-update [/CMD]is not supported on sparc64, is it safe to say that the 11 steps exist due to this lack of support?  Or is the [CMD=]freebsd-update [/CMD] only covering the [CMD=]csup[/CMD] and the [CMD=]make buildworld[/CMD], etc... ?

Just an arcane knowledge question, besides practising /Quote & /CMD

-stoomaroo


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## DutchDaemon (Feb 22, 2010)

Ehm, no, you have the time order backwards there. 

Building FreeBSD from sources has been around since .. FreeBSD was around, whereas freebsd-update (which does no compiling at all, so no `csup` or `make buildworld`, it's just a way to synchronise your binaries (and additionally, source code and such) with those of a newer FreeBSD version) was invented much later (it was in the ports tree first, and became a base system tool in FreeBSD 6.2).

So using /usr/src/Makefile is the original way of upgrading your system, and in the case of non-i386/amd64 installations, still the _only_ way.


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## stoomaroo (Feb 22, 2010)

*Cron-ning the 11?*



> in the case of non-i386/amd64 installations, still the only way.



So for a sparc64, could these magic "11" (a definite bookmarking on that post) essentially be strung together in say, a [CMD=""]cron[/CMD] job to be run together at 2am, example?

Or is it bad practice to run something of this sort in that manner?

-stoomaroo


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## DutchDaemon (Feb 22, 2010)

No, no, no. 

Don't ever try to run a system upgrade from sources (or _any_ system upgrade for that matter) unattended, and certainly don't do it every day. Even an upgrade junkie like me will not do that more than once a month, usually less. And I'm tracking -STABLE, where there is some development going on, so there is at least some reason to even upgrade. If you're running -RELEASE, only important security updates warrant a recompile.

Compiling an entire operating system takes (depending on your hardware) hours and totally monopolises your system. You'll need to reboot twice in the process, and things can go wrong along the way. 

It's fine to update your _sources_ (i.e. only the csup part) from cron, but 'making' the world and the kernel, installing them, and running 'mergemaster' is nothing to underestimate. 

And to be honest (and blunt), seeing how you are feeling your way round this subject and its concepts, I don't think you're even remotely equipped to try it right now ... I can see bullets in feet from a mile away. No offense!

You may get lucky and it may just work the first time (like it did with your custom kernel), but if you have no idea what to do if your new kernel refuses to boot, or if the power cuts out halfway during the kernel/world installation and you wind up with (nicely put) a 'hybrid system', I'd advise against doing this right now, _unless_ this is a 'toy box' that you don't mind reinstalling when it all goes haywire. 

In that case: learn while trying, and be prepared for some long hours and the north face of Mt. Learning Curve


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## stoomaroo (Feb 22, 2010)

Toy box >> it is!

The fires of hell could fall upon this machine and completely eviscerate all hope of resurrection.  

No offense taken, at all.  Although I have an i386 & an amd64 lying around, the junk-ish sparc64 seemed the best machine to be "bricked" in case of failure.  Left over hardware from work always seemed ideal.  If I can get a customized kernel (ok, so far), SSH to it through my firewall (ok, so far), and on a semi-regular security update schedule (subscribing to the FreeBSD-security newsletter seems to be best)...then I'm happy to learn from scratch. 

I expect to blow this thing up, but having bruned a couple of dozen hours so far...I'm pretty happy with the results.

I don't expect to be a pro...ever.  The possibilities here seem endless at the moment though, and will hopefully drag me through the mundane affairs of watching kernel compile & scroll by.

Once I have a plan for how to get this little beast built/running and regularly updated then I suppose I'll infect some other discussion forum about the specific applications.

At the moment though, this is entirely an educational/hobbyist/pleasurable affair.

many regards,
-stoomaroo


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## stoomaroo (Feb 22, 2010)

*Done!*

Outstanding - built!...and 5-6 hours later, the 11 step-program is finished.

[CMD="uname"] -a[/CMD]   gives:


```
FreeBSD sun.somebody.ca 7.2-RELEASE FreeBSD 7.2-RELEASE #0: Mon Feb 22 19:02:14 EST 2010     stoomaroo@sun.somebody.ca:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/MY_FIRST_SUN  sparc64
```

....now about finding a package to break it with! 

-stoomaroo


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## DutchDaemon (Feb 22, 2010)

Good. If you want to stay on 7.2-RELEASE plus security updates, use the CVS tag RELENG_7_2 and you should be set. If you want to hop on to 7.3-RELEASE when it arrives, change it to RELENG_7_3. Watch your daily/weekly csup output and you'll see when updates are available.


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