At Thu, 16 Oct 2025 22:35:00 +0100, Liam Proven <lproven%gmail.com@localhost> wrote:
Subject: Re: Upgrading from 10.0 to 10.1
>
> On Thu, 16 Oct 2025 at 22:03, Rhialto <rhialto%falu.nl@localhost> wrote:
> >
>
> > That would be a total misrepresentation. When doing minor (and even
> > major) version upgrades, I reboot to the install media, choose to
> > upgrade the existing system, let it extract all sets, and I'm back on
> > IRC in about 15 minutes.
>
> My word. So this is in fact the _recommended_ way? And it keeps any
> existing user accounts etc?
>
> I wish I'd known.
Booting from the install media is indeed the documented and recommended
way to do an upgrade.
It's all written in the INSTALL document provided with the binary
distribution, e.g. on boot media, or in the FTP directory:
Upgrading a previously-installed NetBSD System
The easiest way to upgrade to NetBSD 10.1_STABLE is with binaries, and
that is the method documented here.
To do the upgrade, you must have one form of boot media available.
...
The upgrade procedure is similar to an installation, but without the hard
disk partitioning.
...
It is recommended that you use the etcupdate(8) tool to merge
any remaining configuration changes.
I wouldn't call that "well" documented, but it is there.
Perhaps there should be a separate "UPGRADE" document provided with the
boot media and binaries for those who are not prone to reading _all_ of
the documentation.
It is also much better documented in "The NetBSD Guide" (e.g. as found
under "Documentation" on the main official NetBSD.org web page).
Chapter 4. Upgrading NetBSD
4.1. Using sysinst
http://www.netbsd.org/docs/guide/en/chap-upgrading.html
Being the first method listed, and not requiring any add-on software
packages, would suggest to me that it is the most recommended way to do
an upgrade.
For what it's worth this "sysinst" method of doing an upgrade leaves the
necessary directory of new files for etcupdate(8) in /.sysinst so after
rebooting to the main system again one can just run:
etcupdate -s /.sysinst
That part is not (yet) documented anywhere so far as I know.
--
Greg A. Woods <gwoods%acm.org@localhost>
Kelowna, BC +1 250 762-7675 RoboHack <woods%robohack.ca@localhost>
Planix, Inc. <woods%planix.com@localhost> Avoncote Farms <woods%avoncote.ca@localhost>
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