[CentOS] Re: A few questions regarding CentOS (5.0)

[Johnny Hughes]

Rudi Ahlers wrote:
> Robert Nichols wrote:
>> Morten Nilsen wrote:
>>> Robert Nichols wrote:
>>>> If you installed 5.0, you're missing a LOT of updates.  The normal 
>>>> update
>>>> mechanism should bring your machine up to 5.1 unless you've taken 
>>>> action
>>>> to lock it to the 5.0 release.
>>>
>>> When I installed this box, 5.1 wasn't out yet..
>>> And, no I haven't taken any kind of action to lock it to 5.0.
>>>
>>> I have run "yum update" a few times, but I don't see any signs of it 
>>> wanting to upgrade to 5.1..
>>
>> The upgrade to 5.1 is seamless.  Your actual version (the replacement for
>> "$releasever" in the URL in the yum config file) is "5", not "5.0", which
>> will always track the latest release.  Sounds like the kernel version
>> (currently kernel-2.6.18-53.1.14.el5) is not what is causing your 
>> problem.
>>
> I have only recently started using CentOS, and have an interesting query 
> on this. If release 5 is always the latest release, does that mean when 
> 5.6 comes out, it will still be v5? And how does the transition for 
> major releases (from 4 to 5, 5 to 6) work?
> 

Let me relate this to Windows :D

CentOS-5.1 and 5.2 and 5.3 are like XP, XP Service Pack 1, and XP 
Service Pack 2.

====================================================================

So you are always running CentOS-5 ... it is just a different state of 
being updated.

Neither the upstream provider nor CentOS recommends that you UPGRADE 
your install from one MAJOR version to another (ie CentOS-4.x to 
CentOS-5.x):

https://www.redhat.com/archives/rhelv5-beta-list/2008-March/msg00005.html

The upstream provider (and CentOS) recommend that you instead backup 
your data and reinstall your os as a new install, THEN restore your data 
and configure:

http://www.centos.org/docs/5/html/5.1/Installation_Guide/ch23s01.html

HOWEVER ...

if you do upgrade from 3.x (where $releasever is 3) to CentOS-4.x or 
CentOS-5.x then the $releasever will change to 4 or 5 as appropiate.  In 
CentOS, $releasever is controlled by the VERSION (and not the RELEASE) 
of the centos-release package.

Thanks,
Johnny Hughes

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