Re: Upgrading from 10.0 to 10.1

[Stephen Borrill <netbsd%precedence.co.uk@localhost>]

On Wed, 1 Oct 2025, Martin Husemann wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 01, 2025 at 01:20:54PM +0100, Stephen Borrill wrote:
> > Sorry you've had a hard time.
>
> Indeed, let's try to make this better for next time :-)
>
> > > 2. The `sysinst` method does not explain what it will upgrade. The
> > > tool offers choices but does not explain what the choices mean.
> > >
> > > For example:
> > >
> > > «
> > > Figure 4.6. Choosing the distribution filesets
> > > »
> > >
> > > Surely if one is upgrading then what it upgrades is what is presently
> > > installed? You can't upgrade something which is not there to upgrade.
> > > But the menu options here suggested to me that I should pick full
> > > install regardless of what was already installed, and that might
> > > install a lot of extra things I did not have and fill my root
> > > partition.
> >
> > As above, upgrading is not dissimilar to a new installation except you don't
> > extract etc and xetc. Those are handled by etxupdate and postinstall.
> >
> > When upgrading, sysinst should check what is installed by looking in
> > /etc/mtree and suggesting accordingly - I don't know whether it does though.
>
> Indeed, it should do that to pre-select the old sets. It currently doesn't.
>
> But it also allows you install more sets (e.g. if you did not have X
> sets installed, this is the way to get them later). It also allows you
> to download the same OS version again (e.g. if anything garbled some binaries).
>
> So it is quite important at what exact URL you point it at for the sets
> (but recentish versions, and 10.0 does count as that) should have proper
> defaults. If something goes wrong here, this would explain why you got
> the same kernel again.

My updateos script from NetManager (*) uses mtree files from /etc/mtree 
(in preen mode to spot changed files) or from a URL (to spot which 
sets needs to be reinstalled). It can also add or remove sets (e.g. 
remove X).

It can't be pointed at NetBSD builds because it expects the mtree files to 
be in binary/sets/etc/mtree, but this could be added by releng and then I 
could opensource it.

i.e. it just needs:

for i in *.tar.xz; do tar -xzf $i ./etc/mtree; done

% sh updateos -h
Installed sets: base comp etc games gpufw localset man misc modules rescue 
tests text
Current kernel: GENERIC
Syntax: updateos [-efhnpv] [-d path] [-k kernel] [-m mode] [-x proxy]
            [-i|<path to sets>]

        -d = path to set lists for preen (otherwise /etc/mtree)
        -e = use https to fetch instead of http
        -f = force reinstall of sets
        -h = this help
        -i = get sets from NetManager update server (no path needed)
        -k = override detected kernel
        -m = adjust installed sets to match mode (requires path
             if missing sets need adding)
        -n = debug (don't make any changes)
        -p = preen (if no path given, check what is on disk matches
             set lists, i.e have not been modified. If path given,
             compare installed with new sets)
        -v = verbose (list each file checked, extracted or deleted)
        -x = proxy to use (none = no proxy)

mode is one of:
        minimal = minimum to run, no compilers, man pages, etc.
        minimalx = as above, but with X11 base
        nox = full base, compilers, etc. but no X11
        fullminx = full base, compilers, X11 base, but no fonts or servers
        full = all sets, including X11
        plus optionally:
        +debug = add debug sets if not present
        -debug = remove debug sets
        e.g. full+debug will add debug sets

* = See EuroBSDcon 2025 talk:
https://www.netbsd.org/gallery/presentations/sborrill/eurobsdcon2025/NetManager.pdf

--
Stephen