On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 04:35:50 pm Kenneth Freidank wrote:
> Thanks for all the insights and help.
> 1)  I went to box B, and switched my kernel back to the factory
> distribution 3.1, and rebuilt the tools for 3.1 from a 3.1 box.  Tools
> built fine.
> ./build.sh -U tools

You should have stuck with the latest kernel you had, and built the tools 
within that kernel. If you had of ./build.sh tools under the _new_ kernel, 
all would be well.

> 2) From box B, I tried to install the distribution I had previously
> built on box A 4.99.19.  So I'm running 3.1 on box B and
> ./build.sh -O /usr/obj -D /usr/destdir -x -U install=/
> (/usr/obj & /usr/desdir are NFS mounted to my 4.99.19 box A)
>
> The base installed on box B, then everything fell apart.

Yep, you blew away all the 3.1 associated userland while it was in use, hence 
the reason for building the tools under the new kernel and maintaining an 
upgrade path.

Admittedly none of it is perfect but you are doing a major upgrade. 
Incremental upgrades aren't so pronounced.

> mkdir quit working, ls quit working, so I started over, reformatted and
> reinstalled 3.1

Why not go with 4 beta or rc? The problem you had is less likely to occur but 
it is probably still best to understand what is actually going on.

>  From my native and freshly installed 3.1, with my /usr/src directory
> NFS mounted, I am building 4.99.31.  This should work, but it is taking
> me forever and a day.  I wish I had known more about the distribution
> sets.  I thought the tools, once compiled in a 3.1 environment, would be
> able to access and install the 4.99.31 userland built on my 4.99.19
> system, but it didn't.  I'll try the tarball approach next time.  Seems
> like an awful waste of time having to compile 4.99.31 on my old and slow
> system running 3.1.

It's not necessary to build the kernel on box B. Heck, you could download a 
snapshot kernel if you want, so long as you boot using the kernel associated 
with the intended userland.

No matter what you do ... you will have to provide valid tools under box B.

Easiest method would be:

* boot using new kernel
* cd /usr/src&&./build.sh tools&&./build.sh install=/

But obviously doesn't apply to your custom structure.

Funnily enough, you were almost there on the first email you sent and have 
taken a few steps back.

Good luck!

Sarton