When to do mergemaster -p (documentation bug?)

Russell Hanneken wrote:
>> Section 21.4.1 of the FreeBSD Handbook says one should do mergemaster -p
>> a few steps after doing make buildworld. But section 21.4.4 says you
>> should do mergemaster -p before doing make buildworld.
>>
>> What's the correct point in the updating process to do mergemaster -p?

Lowell Gilbert wrote:
>
> "The Canonical Way to Update Your System" [section 21.4.1] won't
steer > you wrong.

David Lord wrote:
>
> Try 'man mergemaster'
>
> -p is Pre-buildworld mode

Well, that's one vote for running mergemaster -p after make buildworld,
and one vote for running mergemaster -p before make buildworld.

As David points out, the mergemaster man page does describe the -p
option as "Pre-buildworld mode." On the other hand, /usr/src/UPDATING
indicates mergemaster -p should be run after building the world.

I'm so confused. I just don't know what to believe anymore... :^(

--
Russell Hanneken
rghanneken.TakeThisOut@pobox.com
Remove the 'g' from my address to send me mail.
 >> Stay informed about: When to do mergemaster -p (documentation bug?) 

Russell Hanneken wrote:
> Russell Hanneken wrote:
>>> Section 21.4.1 of the FreeBSD Handbook says one should do mergemaster -p
>>> a few steps after doing make buildworld. But section 21.4.4 says you
>>> should do mergemaster -p before doing make buildworld.
>>>
>>> What's the correct point in the updating process to do mergemaster -p?

> Lowell Gilbert wrote:
> >
> > "The Canonical Way to Update Your System" [section 21.4.1] won't
> steer > you wrong.

> David Lord wrote:
> >
> > Try 'man mergemaster'
> >
> > -p is Pre-buildworld mode

> Well, that's one vote for running mergemaster -p after make buildworld,
> and one vote for running mergemaster -p before make buildworld.

> As David points out, the mergemaster man page does describe the -p
> option as "Pre-buildworld mode." On the other hand, /usr/src/UPDATING
> indicates mergemaster -p should be run after building the world.

> I'm so confused. I just don't know what to believe anymore... :^(

The handbook is very confusing on this question. The definitive source is
UPDATING as referred to by the handbook. In UPDATING i can see:
make buildworld
make buildkernel KERNCONF=YOUR_KERNEL_HERE
make installkernel KERNCONF=YOUR_KERNEL_HERE
reboot (in single user) [1]
make installworld
mergemaster [2]
reboot
This is clear, concise and works. I have upgraded this way since a very long
time and it never failed. In very rare circumstances it has been "necessary"
to run mergemaster -p before make buildworld, but this was largely advertised
at the appropriate moment. As far as i remember, this was to introduce new
users to manage sendmail. A much better and more satisfactory solutions in all
respects being to erase purely and simply sendmail from the machine
More recenty for 5.2 it was recommended to erase all scripts under /etc/rc.d
and recreate them with mergemaster -i. To be short, read UPDATING and do
what's here. You are confused about a problem which is basically a non
problem.





> --
> Russell Hanneken
> rghanneken.TakeThisOut@pobox.com
> Remove the 'g' from my address to send me mail.

--
Michel Talon
 >> Stay informed about: When to do mergemaster -p (documentation bug?) 

>>>>> "Michel" == Michel Talon writes:

Michel> The handbook is very confusing on this question.

No longer true, Thanks to Marc Fonvieille, check it out.

Eric Masson

--
Dis tu nous lâches un peu ? C'est un sujet assez important pour qu'on en
parle, peu importe le groupe. C'est à cause de gens comme toi si c'est la
merde sur le net. Tes leçons de nétiquéquette, tu peux te les... OK?
-+- Ghost in : <http://www.le-gnu.net> - Terrorisme neuneulectuel -+-
 >> Stay informed about: When to do mergemaster -p (documentation bug?)