Upgrading, was Re: jessie upgrade sources.list entries?
Quoting Brian (ad44@cityscape.co.uk):
>
> Some people also recommend checking progress and the state of the system
> by doing a reboot between an upgrade and a dist-upgrade.
Lots of good advice here. I can't remember where I got my checklist
from but it's grow like topsy over the years. Please hack it back
(in the gardening sense) as it's OTT (preparing for senility)...
-----
A fairly full list of steps in upgrading a Debian distribution.
Running script might help, with care when it is upgraded itself.
It's safer not to be in X.
0. check backups are valid, rebackup, and repeat before big steps.
1. read any upgrade/release notes for the new distribution.
2. apt-get update the current packages list.
3. apt-get upgrade the current distribution.
4. apt-get dist-upgrade the current distribution if necessary.
5. remove any 3rd-party and iffy packages, and backports, if possible.
6. (re)move desktop environment stuff.
7. renew the sources list, also commenting out any 3rd-party sources.
8. review /etc/apt/preferences* and /etc/apt/apt.conf* and/or move them.
9. apt-get clean (though I do this myself as a matter of routine).
10. apt-get update the new packages list.
11. possibly upgrade linux-image, linux-headers, dpkg, apt and aptitude,
and reboot, bearing in mind anything like wireless stuff, ndiswrapper.
(If script running, save typescript.)
12. apt-get upgrade to the new distribution: much might be held back.
13. there's usually a set of changes listed which needs acknowledging: q.
14. there's usually a query whether to restart services automatically: y.
15. if disk space is an issue, clean the cache after saving debs
(if not running apt-cache).
16. check if udev has been upgraded and whether it needs to be,
before or after a reboot (remembering script).
17. apt-get dist-upgrade to the new distribution.
18. if disk space is an issue, ...
19. apt-get -f install occasionally to fix problems including removals/purges.
20. sometimes dpkg --configure -a helps because something unconfigured is
holding loads of debs back.
12-20. repeat from about here.
21. save any new debs not already saved, if needed.
22. if the kernel was upgraded since the last reboot, reboot
(remembering script).
23. check over package release notes.
24. sort out mc configuration, especially confirm delete.
25. start reapplying customisations where still necessary.
26. check functionality and add 3rd-party packages where still necessary.
27. archive any script/typescript outputs that might have been saved.
28. save any new package debs and import them into apt-cacher-ng if necessary.
29. see if X still works!
Cheers,
David.
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