Re: How often to update /boot on i386 updates? Other files?

[Bernd Ernesti <netbsd%lists.veego.de@localhost>]

On Sat, Dec 26, 2009 at 07:23:59PM -0500, Greg Troxel wrote:
> 
> yancm%sdf.lonestar.org@localhost writes:
> 
> > Apparently /usr/mdec gets updated on each distribution install.
> 
> Yes, just like /bin.
> 
> > Should I be (have been?) updating /boot from /usr/mdec/boot on *each*
> > system update?
> 
> That's a very good question.  I would lean towards saying yes.

I tend to agree too, but

> It's not just /boot, but also bootxx_*.

this part is not ok because you can have your own options while using
installboot(8).

> > Is there any substantial risk to updating /boot with/after every
> > distribution install?
> 
> There's always the risk of trouble, but kernel and /sbin/init could be
> trouble too.  /boot does not have a history of being scary.

There was some trouble in the last months when it went over a 64k size.

> > Matthias Scheler suggests that:
> > "After the 6.0 release most users should have a module aware
> > boot loader"
> > (see: http://mail-index.netbsd.org/current-users/2009/12/22/msg011788.html)
> >
> > How does that happen?
> 
> Indeed - it usually seems one needs a /boot and maybe bootxx_foo from a
> relatively recent system to boot the next one.

Hmm, the one change here which requires an update from an older version
was the modules. If you use a kernel without MODULAR support it still
would have worked.

Bernd