Re: How to keep my box up-to-date.

[Robert Elz <kre%munnari.OZ.AU@localhost>]

    Date:        Mon, 16 Dec 2013 19:07:13 +0000
    From:        Ottavio Caruso <ottavio2006-usenet2012%yahoo.com@localhost>
    Message-ID:  
<CAEJNuHy44bibN_yWf1E6RfkAEJK__F=u7mh8_fckGOWYtfVEaQ%mail.gmail.com@localhost>

  | EDIT: if you also need to upgrade the base system (the one that came
  | with the first installation) you also need "sysupgrade"

This isn't a comment on that tool, which I have never used either, but
on base system upgrades.  Unlike some other OS's, the best procedure
as in easiest, and entirely effective) for NetBSD, is to only upgrade
a base system that works for you if you if you really have to (if there's
a bug you find that is a problem, or upon release of a security advisory.)

For advisories, just subscribe to netbsd-announce (or maybe
tech-security), pay attention to any advisories, and apply whatever
fixes they say as they instruct - these do not happen very often,
and the required actions vary.

For everything else in base, if it is working, leave it alone, until
there's a release with enough new stuff in it that you want to upgrade.
For that, just go through the install process again, using the new release,
but tell sysinst you want an upgrade rather than new install -- once every
3 or 4 years or so would be about as often as that is likely to be required.

Applications from pkgsrc are a whole other issue - for that there are
competing strategies (as others have indicated) - pick the one that
suits you and use it.

kre