Updating from 9.3-STABLE to 9.10-STABLE

[balanga]

I'm thinking of updating from 9.3-STABLE to 9.10-STABLE - mainly because I understand that Midnight Commander is now included in the core system (is that correct?).

Is there anything in particular I need to watch out for?

Is the procedure basically

System->Update->Select FreeNAS-9.10-STABLE->Confirm that I want to change trains ?

 

[styno]

1. Midnight Commander is included, I made sure before I typed this ;)
2. Some ppl had issues lately with upgrades, maybe it is safe to create an image of your boot device before moving on.
3. That is exactly how I moved to 9.10

 

[Ericloewe]

maybe it is safe to create an image of your boot device before moving on.

That's absolutely pointless.

If something goes wrong and a rollback doesn't work, the config file is all that is needed. The config file should always be backed-up.

 

[joeschmuck]

The config file should always be backed-up.

Read and learn! If you don't have your configuration file backed up then you are not concerned about an easy recovery for when things fail or you do something by accident.

 

[styno]

That's absolutely pointless.

It is the only way to know (and test) upfront that you can go back to the exact situation before the upgrade.

 

[Ericloewe]

It is the only way to know (and test) upfront that you can go back to the exact situation before the upgrade.

No, it isn't. Besides, keeping images has been known not to work correctly.

 

[styno]

I am here to learn so please enlighten me.
Also, I didn't say you have to keep images, I specified that if you want to be 100% sure that you can go back to the previous situation you can image your boot device and test that image.
Then you can upgrade with the nice and warm fuzzy feeling that you have a working fallback plan.

 

[Ericloewe]

As I said, all you need is the config file. If you want a specific version of FreeNAS, just grab the ISO for that version (as long as it's not older than the config file), install it and upload the config.

 

[styno]

Yes, I agree, all you should need is the config file, and it will get you back to your data after you reinstall on a new device and import.

But an image is not pointless, it is paranoia and more work to prepare and test but it will get you back online quicker into the *exact* same situation as before the upgrade.
(I for one like to have my custom scripts to read for example the temperatures and I know it's stupid but I like to have my bash history handy.)

 

[Ericloewe]

I for one like to have my custom scripts to read for example the temperatures and I know it's stupid but I like to have my bash history handy.

If they're living on the data pool (which they should be, anyway), the config takes care of that, too.

 

[joeschmuck]

Yes, I agree, all you should need is the config file, and it will get you back to your data after you reinstall on a new device and import.

But an image is not pointless, it is paranoia and more work to prepare and test but it will get you back online quicker into the *exact* same situation as before the upgrade.
(I for one like to have my custom scripts to read for example the temperatures and I know it's stupid but I like to have my bash history handy.)

I agree with @Ericloewe here and all your scripts should be on your data pool, the only thing that should be on your boot pool is the FreeNAS software and that is it. As previously stated, when you install the version of FreeNAS and then restore your configuration backup, all things should be just as they were before the upgrade, provided your configuration file was backed up just prior to your upgrade or you haven't made any changes since your last config backup.

But if you want to create an image of your boot device, no one will stop you. We just don't want you to think that it is required to do that to get the same outcome, nor do we want other users to think that what you are doing is required.

 

[balanga]

As an alternative to updating can I do this?

1 Save config file

2 Create FreeNAS boot image on USB pen drive using latest image

3 Boot

4 Import config file

5 Import data


Or would (5) be redundant? Not sure what the config file contains....