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This may be a naive newbie question, but ...

What is the process for keeping OpenBSD up to date exactly? I
installed OpenBSD 3.9 a while back. I subscribe to the OpenBSD
security mailing list and I track the errata page at openbsd.org.
There seem to be at least a few updates affecting the core install and
I'd like to update my system.

However, when I installed the system, I did not install the compiler
package nor the ports tree. I don't want to install those.

#1, they take up a lot of disk space ... and space is severly limited
on this particular system.

#2, I don't even want to think about how much time it would take to
re-compile on this system I have. It's just a little embedded box
without a lot of processing power. (But it has *more than enough*
processing power to do what I'm doing with it.)

I've added a handful of binary packages to the system using pkg_add.
Updating those packages with "pkg_add -u" seems like it doesn't work.
As if the update system is partially/completely broken.

All I ever get is this:

# pkg_add -iu
Error from ftp://openbsd.mirrors.pair.com/3.9/packages/i386/:
502 Unimplemented command.
Error from ftp://openbsd.mirrors.pair.com/3.9/packages/i386/:
502 Unimplemented command.
(repeats about 25-30 times)

I have a second box identical to the one I have OpenBSD on. But I'm
running Debian on it. Keeping the Debian box up to date is quite
simple. apt-get update && apt-get upgrade. Is there something like
that for OpenBSD? I prefer the OpenBSD box for all things *other than*
installing/maintaining the core system and add on packages.

blixel@gmail.com wrote:
> This may be a naive newbie question, but ...
>
> What is the process for keeping OpenBSD up to date exactly?

The supported methods for keeping kernel, userland, and optionally X up
to date are:

Manually applying the patches published in the errata to -release
Following the -stable branch

> However, when I installed the system, I did not install the compiler
> package nor the ports tree. I don't want to install those.

Both of the methods above require the compiler file set as well as the
source trees (/usr/src, and optionally /usr/XF4).

Keeping packages up to date may require the ports tree (/usr/ports),
depending upon your architecture. Some architectures (notably i386)
have -stable packages made available at the mirrors. Since it appears
you are using i386, the ports tree would only be needed for those
applications which do not have packages due to licensing, and from your
description of your environment, that does not currently apply.

> #1, they take up a lot of disk space ... and space is severly limited
> on this particular system.

In this sort of situation, a second OpenBSD system with the compiler and
sources can be used to make kernel, userland, and X updates, and you can
make releases from these at the same time. The releases can then be
installed on your production systems as upgrades. FAQ 5 and release(8)
can provide details. The same second system can be used to create
updated packages from updated ports, should that ever be necessary.

> I've added a handful of binary packages to the system using pkg_add.
> Updating those packages with "pkg_add -u" seems like it doesn't work.
> As if the update system is partially/completely broken.
>
> All I ever get is this:
>
> # pkg_add -iu
> Error from ftp://openbsd.mirrors.pair.com/3.9/packages/i386/:
> 502 Unimplemented command.

Try a different mirror, or examine your PKG_PATH variable carefully.
There's no trailing ":" at the end of it, is there?

blixel@gmail.com wrote:
> This may be a naive newbie question, but ...
>
> What is the process for keeping OpenBSD up to date exactly?

The supported methods for keeping kernel, userland, and optionally X up
to date are:

Manually applying the patches published in the errata to -release
Following the -stable branch

> However, when I installed the system, I did not install the compiler
> package nor the ports tree. I don't want to install those.

Both of the methods above require the compiler file set as well as the
source trees (/usr/src, and optionally /usr/XF4).

Keeping packages up to date may require the ports tree (/usr/ports),
depending upon your architecture. Some architectures (notably i386)
have -stable packages made available at the mirrors. Since it appears
you are using i386, the ports tree would only be needed for those
applications which do not have packages due to licensing, and from your
description of your environment, that does not currently apply.

> #1, they take up a lot of disk space ... and space is severly limited
> on this particular system.

In this sort of situation, a second OpenBSD system with the compiler and
sources can be used to make kernel, userland, and X updates, and you can
make releases from these at the same time. The releases can then be
installed on your production systems as upgrades. FAQ 5 and release(8)
can provide details. The same second system can be used to create
updated packages from updated ports, should that ever be necessary.

> I've added a handful of binary packages to the system using pkg_add.
> Updating those packages with "pkg_add -u" seems like it doesn't work.
> As if the update system is partially/completely broken.
>
> All I ever get is this:
>
> # pkg_add -iu
> Error from ftp://openbsd.mirrors.pair.com/3.9/packages/i386/:
> 502 Unimplemented command.

Try a different mirror, or examine your PKG_PATH variable carefully.
There's no trailing ":" at the end of it, is there?

Thanks for the reply.

> Manually applying the patches published in the errata to -release
> Following the -stable branch
>
> > However, when I installed the system, I did not install the compiler
> > package nor the ports tree. I don't want to install those.
>
> Both of the methods above require the compiler file set as well as the
> source trees (/usr/src, and optionally /usr/XF4).
>

Arg, I was afraid of that.

> Keeping packages up to date may require the ports tree (/usr/ports),
> depending upon your architecture. Some architectures (notably i386)
> have -stable packages made available at the mirrors. Since it appears
> you are using i386, the ports tree would only be needed for those
> applications which do not have packages due to licensing, and from your
> description of your environment, that does not currently apply.
>

Sorry, yes ... my platform is i386. The license is not an issue with
any of the packages I require. (Postfix, OpenLDAP, SpamAssasin,
courier-imap, procmail, rsync... that's about it other than the
dependencies those programs have.)

> > #1, they take up a lot of disk space ... and space is severly limited
> > on this particular system.
>
> In this sort of situation, a second OpenBSD system with the compiler and
> sources can be used to make kernel, userland, and X updates, and you can
> make releases from these at the same time. The releases can then be
> installed on your production systems as upgrades. FAQ 5 and release(8)
> can provide details. The same second system can be used to create
> updated packages from updated ports, should that ever be necessary.
>

I've thought about something like that. I guess I'll have to look into
it. Compiling on this little box just isn't an option. It's totally
impractical.

> > I've added a handful of binary packages to the system using pkg_add.
> > Updating those packages with "pkg_add -u" seems like it doesn't work.
> > As if the update system is partially/completely broken.
> >
> > All I ever get is this:
> >
> > # pkg_add -iu
> > Error from ftp://openbsd.mirrors.pair.com/3.9/packages/i386/:
> > 502 Unimplemented command.
>
> Try a different mirror, or examine your PKG_PATH variable carefully.
> There's no trailing ":" at the end of it, is there?

No tailing :

My PKG_PATH is as follows:

PKG_PATH=ftp://openbsd.mirrors.pair.com/3.9/packages/i386/

I seem to recall the trailing forward slash being necessary.

blixel@gmail.com wrote:

>>> I've added a handful of binary packages to the system using pkg_add.
>>> Updating those packages with "pkg_add -u" seems like it doesn't work.
>>> As if the update system is partially/completely broken.
>>>
>>> All I ever get is this:
>>>
>>> # pkg_add -iu
>>> Error from ftp://openbsd.mirrors.pair.com/3.9/packages/i386/:
>>> 502 Unimplemented command.
>> Try a different mirror, or examine your PKG_PATH variable carefully.
>> There's no trailing ":" at the end of it, is there?
>
> No tailing :
>
> My PKG_PATH is as follows:
>
> PKG_PATH=ftp://openbsd.mirrors.pair.com/3.9/packages/i386/
>
> I seem to recall the trailing forward slash being necessary.
>

Yes it is. Try a different mirror, as I recommended, and see if you get
different results.

On 2006-08-12, blixel@gmail.com <blixel@gmail.com> wrote:
> #2, I don't even want to think about how much time it would take to
> re-compile on this system I have. It's just a little embedded box
> without a lot of processing power. (But it has *more than enough*
> processing power to do what I'm doing with it.)

Maybe use VMWare or qemu or something similar to run a virtual compile
host on a beefier box?

--
Stephen Takacs <perlhaq@gmail.com> http://perlguru.net/
4149 FD56 D078 C988 9027 1EB4 04CC F80F 72CB 09DA

On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 03:49:06 GMT in <SubEg.69824$MW.56009@trnddc04> Stephen Takacs <perlhaq@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 2006-08-12, blixel@gmail.com <blixel@gmail.com> wrote:
>> #2, I don't even want to think about how much time it would take to
>> re-compile on this system I have. It's just a little embedded box
>> without a lot of processing power. (But it has *more than enough*
>> processing power to do what I'm doing with it.)
>
> Maybe use VMWare or qemu or something similar to run a virtual compile
> host on a beefier box?

Or wait until the xen 3 work on netbsd percolates over to openbsd.


--
Chris Dukes
"The key to effective management is properly timed hovering."

pakrat@localhost.private.neotoma.org wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 03:49:06 GMT in <SubEg.69824$MW.56009@trnddc04>
Stephen Takacs <perlhaq@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 2006-08-12, blixel@gmail.com <blixel@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> #2, I don't even want to think about how much time it would take to
>>> re-compile on this system I have. It's just a little embedded box
>>> without a lot of processing power. (But it has *more than enough*
>>> processing power to do what I'm doing with it.)
>>
>> Maybe use VMWare or qemu or something similar to run a virtual compile
>> host on a beefier box?
>
> Or wait until the xen 3 work on netbsd percolates over to openbsd.
>
Note that it should be possible to run an unmodified OpenBSD virtually
using XEN on AMD chips with AMD-V (formerly known as Pacifica).
--
Using OpenBSD with or without X & KDE?
http://dfeustel.home.mindspring.com