FreeBSD® Unleashed

Pre-make world Tasks

So, you've chosen to rebuild your system. Whether you're going to synchronize to interim sources along one of the development branches or whether you simply want to upgrade to the next RELEASE through this method, there are a number of things you'll need to do before embarking on the rather convoluted process. A lot of things can go wrong. It pays to follow the game plan.

The most crucial admonishment before you upgrade is to make a backup of your system. Many readers will undoubtedly ignore this warning and proceed anyway—I'm guilty of this myself—but if you can possibly manage the cost and hassle of setting up a backup solution, it's absolutely worth it. Nothing is more heartbreaking than performing a simple, routine upgrade, ...