how often should you recompile your kernel?

[xyyz]

okay... to take a break from all the heartwrenching topics...

How often should you recompile your kernel? I'm talking about FreeBSD here.

Here's the deal....

FreeBSD.org said that the new release 4-stable (FreeBSD 4.4?) was released on the 15th.

Now... tell me if i'm right here...

Since the new release.... I should have updated my ports and sources via cvsup...

Once I did that... I should have done a make world... and then recomplie my kernel?

My question is this... when I do a cvsup does it update my sources to the current (FreeBSD 4.4?) sources? ... when I recomplike the kernel... will it incorporate those new sources into the new kernel?

tell me if I'm wrong here... if I'm wrong please tell me how I can get a hold of the new sources so that I can recompile my kernel and make it the latest (4.4)...

other than that... how often should one recomplie their kernel?

 

[nuttervm]

i'm not positive about most of the stuff in the beginning, but the universal answer is that you should only upgrade your kernel when there is a recently added feature that you NEED or a security patch that you have to apply. otherwise it's not really worth upgrading. (unless you have an urge to be a rebel on the bleeding edge)

i'm still not comfortable with cvs yet so i don't know the ins and outs yet...

 

[Chatterjee]

yes... the way i recall it being necessary is when new drivers or better drivers are supported in the new kernel... otherwise, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

-S

 

[n0cmonkey]

When 4.4-release it out (like you said it may be I havent checked yet) you can cvs the NEW SOURCES (you may need a different cvs flag for it) and use them. But if I remember correctly you should compile a new kernel then source.

 

[xyyz]

<< When 4.4-release it out (like you said it may be I havent checked yet) you can cvs the NEW SOURCES (you may need a different cvs flag for it) and use them. But if I remember correctly you should compile a new kernel then source. >>



The thing is... they say 4.4 was released on the 15th... and I recomplied... after the reboot... it still says 4.3... and yes i've modified the cvsup-file so that it will pull the latest STABLE release...

 

[n0cmonkey]

<<

<< When 4.4-release it out (like you said it may be I havent checked yet) you can cvs the NEW SOURCES (you may need a different cvs flag for it) and use them. But if I remember correctly you should compile a new kernel then source. >>



The thing is... they say 4.4 was released on the 15th... and I recomplied... after the reboot... it still says 4.3... and yes i've modified the cvsup-file so that it will pull the latest STABLE release... >>



Did you specifically try and download 4.4 release? Release != stable I dont think. So it might have grabbed the latest stable, being 4.3-stable, instead of 4.4-release. But I could be wrong...

 

[n0cmonkey]

This is the flag you should be using for anon cvs to get/upgrade the 4.4-RELEASE code: RELENG_4_4 (probably a -rRELENG_4_4 , but Im not positive).
http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/anoncvs.html