In reply to your message of Mon, 28 Jun 2004 17:59:29 PDT:

Rolling up some more feedback:

mn> Also, I think you can download only syssrc.tar.gz from that directory
mn> if you want to rebuild only the kernel.

Well, this is the sort of no-nonsense process I'd be hoping for. However,
let's say I start with a new, empty /src, and download the syssrc sources.
Am I back where I started, with having to do a toolchain build per the
Handbook, or is there a way I can just generate the new config file and
hit it with the traditional BSD config/make depend/make sequence?

bs> As has been noted, you can use specific tags to get 1.6, 1.6.1, and 1.6.2.
OK. I thought that was what I did with my original CVS.

bs> I though have to wonder why you want to do this? The 1.6.x release branch=
bs> =20
bs> has received maintainance updates over its existance. i.e. bugs and=20
bs> security issues have been fixed. Why do you not want those fixes?

Oh, as to that: I'm in a hurry, which is to say, I want to spend as little
time on this as possible, since I'm doing this in my day job where there
are many bigger fish I must fry. Already, I'm somewhat aghast at how involved a
simple kernel rebuild is for NetBSD, as opposed to FreeBSD, which does
not require toolchain builds, source checkouts, and the like-- at least,
not on the end-user side ;-). But then, I'm going by the Handbook's 
instructions, which I'm beginning to suspect may be overcomplicated for 
reasons not clear to me...

bs> Ok, that makes some more sense. If you want to build a release's kernel,=20
bs> probably the easiest thing to do is just ftp down the release's source.=20
bs> ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-1.6/source/sets/ should get you the=
bs> =20
bs> different tarballs for 1.6.

And per other feedback, I should be able to just grab the syssrc tarball.
How to then transmogrify that into a rebuilt kernel doesn't seem to be
documented, so any and all procedural info from that point is appreciated.

bs> However I still think you want to look at updating to 1.6.2. It should be=
bs> =20
bs> a rather painless update (much more gentle than updating to -current), and=
bs> =20
bs> would pick up a number of security fixes.

Consider: It is faster for me to changeout the entire system to an 
Intel/FreeBSD box with it's attendant simple kernel build process than it
would be to iterate through checkout/build world/install world for 1.6.2.
(Actually, it *already* would have been faster, but let's not go there... ;-)
I realize that's an ugly truth to admit, but it's the price of having
production service level job pressure to attend to. After all, if I was
willing to tolerate a labyrinth of software complexity and twisted kernel
architecture, I'd be running Linux. ;-) ;-)

The fact is, the dark side of the seductively clean burn/install/boot process
that is IMNSHO one of the hallmarks of the BSD's is that installs-from-scratch
are frequently easier than updates. An easier update process has been
on my wish list of desirables for many moons, and at least in that specific
area, Apple OS X leaves the other BSDs standing. If I can pkg_add apache,
then there just oughta be a way to pkg_add netbsd-update-1.6.2. :-/

But I'm totally digressing. With apologies for any bruised toes from my
editorializing and again, many many thanks for the assistance,
	Paul

                          Paul "Corwin" Frommeyer
             Work         Internet Engineer, CCIE               Play
     Senior Network Engineer                          Network Sorcerer At Large
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     pfrommeyer@deskey.com                                corwin@palas.com
          *** Speaking solely for myself unless otherwise noted ***