when is the o.s. considered to be at a certain minor version? Or, is it safe to apply only certain package updates from the next release version?
Two related questions about the minor release numbers (e.g. the 'x' in 5.x or 6.x) :
1) What constitutes the o.s. being at a particluar minor release? Typically, when you install you are getting a package set available from a specific minor release number. But what minor release is the o.s. at if I just update the centos-release package, and no other package? Typically, a 'yum update' is said to take your whole package set to the latest minor release. But what minor release is the o.s. if you just update certain packages (instead of taking all avaailable updates)?
2) Can I apply package updates made in a minor release greater than my current release without detriment to the integrity of the o.s.? E.g. Suppose all my packages are at versions delivered in v5.6. Suppose also, that I have a package xyz installed, and that an update to it was made available in v5.8. Can I upgrade xyz to the updated version from 5.8 without updating other packages (except for any dependencies xyz has) to the versions available in v5.8?
Thanks,
on 5/10/2012 1:14 PM Jon Detert spake the following:
Two related questions about the minor release numbers (e.g. the 'x' in 5.x or 6.x) :
What constitutes the o.s. being at a particluar minor release? Typically, when you install you are getting a package set available from a specific minor release number. But what minor release is the o.s. at if I just update the centos-release package, and no other package? Typically, a 'yum update' is said to take your whole package set to the latest minor release. But what minor release is the o.s. if you just update certain packages (instead of taking all avaailable updates)?
Can I apply package updates made in a minor release greater than my current release without detriment to the integrity of the o.s.?
E.g. Suppose all my packages are at versions delivered in v5.6. Suppose also, that I have a package xyz installed, and that an update to it was made available in v5.8. Can I upgrade xyz to the updated version from 5.8 without updating other packages (except for any dependencies xyz has) to the versions available in v5.8?
Thanks,
The minor versions are only snapshots in time when install media is re-generated... There is no good reason to stay on previous minor versions... There is really only a 5 version or a 6 version... Staying with older packages will only give you security problems...
On 05/10/2012 10:35 PM, Scott Silva wrote:
on 5/10/2012 1:14 PM Jon Detert spake the following:
Two related questions about the minor release numbers (e.g. the 'x' in 5.x or 6.x) :
What constitutes the o.s. being at a particluar minor release? Typically, when you install you are getting a package set available from a specific minor release number. But what minor release is the o.s. at if I just update the centos-release package, and no other package? Typically, a 'yum update' is said to take your whole package set to the latest minor release. But what minor release is the o.s. if you just update certain packages (instead of taking all avaailable updates)?
Can I apply package updates made in a minor release greater than my current release without detriment to the integrity of the o.s.?
E.g. Suppose all my packages are at versions delivered in v5.6. Suppose also, that I have a package xyz installed, and that an update to it was made available in v5.8. Can I upgrade xyz to the updated version from 5.8 without updating other packages (except for any dependencies xyz has) to the versions available in v5.8?
Thanks,
The minor versions are only snapshots in time when install media is re-generated... There is no good reason to stay on previous minor versions... There is really only a 5 version or a 6 version... Staying with older packages will only give you security problems...
I can not agree with this. Minor versions also introduce newer kernels (hardware support) and some changes in packages that are not done during regular update releases. Certain technological previews are also introduced and so on. If you were right, then all those packages would just be shoved into "updates" repository. The difference between Fedora releases and RHEL/CentOS minor version is ability to upgrade to next minor version fluidly, without loosing kABI/ABI compatibility.
On 05/10/12 2:12 PM, Ljubomir Ljubojevic wrote:
I can not agree with this. Minor versions also introduce newer kernels (hardware support) and some changes in packages that are not done during regular update releases. Certain technological previews are also introduced and so on.
Those 'newer kernels' are sub-versions of the same x.y.z kernel originally released.
6.2 plus updates is currently 2.6.32-220, it was originally 2.6.32, and 6.anythign will remain 2.6.32, only the -xxx will change.
Yes, sometimes new hardware support is added.
Those technological previews are in the form of additional packages. Don't want them? Don't install them!
On Thu, May 10, 2012 at 4:12 PM, Ljubomir Ljubojevic office@plnet.rs wrote:
I can not agree with this. Minor versions also introduce newer kernels (hardware support) and some changes in packages that are not done during regular update releases. Certain technological previews are also introduced and so on.
Theoretically the updates between minor versions are supposed to be security and critical bug fixes while the minor version updates batch in less critical fixes and some new things.
If you were right, then all those packages would just be shoved into "updates" repository.
They pretty much are. You should be able to 'yum update' any specific package to any newer rev. regardless of the revisions of the rest of the system, and the rpm dependencies will pull anything else that must be updated to match. However, I've seldom seen any reason to not stay close to up to date on everything.
On 05/10/2012 11:48 PM, Les Mikesell wrote:
On Thu, May 10, 2012 at 4:12 PM, Ljubomir Ljubojevicoffice@plnet.rs wrote:
I can not agree with this. Minor versions also introduce newer kernels (hardware support) and some changes in packages that are not done during regular update releases. Certain technological previews are also introduced and so on.
Theoretically the updates between minor versions are supposed to be security and critical bug fixes while the minor version updates batch in less critical fixes and some new things.
If you were right, then all those packages would just be shoved into "updates" repository.
They pretty much are. You should be able to 'yum update' any specific package to any newer rev. regardless of the revisions of the rest of the system, and the rpm dependencies will pull anything else that must be updated to match. However, I've seldom seen any reason to not stay close to up to date on everything.
I regularly update all installed packages. That part I agree with. Sorry for confusion.
I do not agree with "minor versions are only snapshots in time when install media is re-generated". I should have left only part of the sentence I disagree with.
On Thu, May 10, 2012 at 4:56 PM, Ljubomir Ljubojevic office@plnet.rs wrote:
I do not agree with "minor versions are only snapshots in time when install media is re-generated". I should have left only part of the sentence I disagree with.
They coincide with batches of less critical fixes so if you are installing a new system it would make sense to install from the new media instead of the huge update from an earlier version. But I don't think you can generalize about them much more than that.
Ljubomir Ljubojevic wrote on 05/10/2012 05:56 PM:
I do not agree with "minor versions are only snapshots in time when install media is re-generated". I should have left only part of the sentence I disagree with.
What's not to agree with in that? It may be incomplete, but not incorrect.
Would you agree with "Minor versions are snapshots in time when all of the latest updates, and a batch of new ones, are merged into a new base repo, the updates repo is emptied, and new installation media are generated"?
Phil
If you dig through the Red Hat site enough, you will find that there is no Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.2. There is only RHEL6. 5.x,6.x are NOT defined outside of what is on the isos. So far as I know, it applies to CentOS.
This is not Solaris/AIX/HPUX/Windows. There are no defined releases or 'service packs' which guarantee a particular _set_ of minor versions to be present. . On Thu, 10 May 2012, Phil Schaffner wrote:
Ljubomir Ljubojevic wrote on 05/10/2012 05:56 PM:
I do not agree with "minor versions are only snapshots in time when install media is re-generated". I should have left only part of the sentence I disagree with.
What's not to agree with in that? It may be incomplete, but not incorrect.
Would you agree with "Minor versions are snapshots in time when all of the latest updates, and a batch of new ones, are merged into a new base repo, the updates repo is emptied, and new installation media are generated"?
Phil _______________________________________________ CentOS mailing list CentOS@centos.org http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Wildman, CISSP, RHCE jim@rossberry.com http://www.rossberry.net "Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one." Thomas Paine
On 05/11/2012 08:14 AM, Jon Detert wrote:
Two related questions about the minor release numbers (e.g. the 'x' in 5.x or 6.x) :
What constitutes the o.s. being at a particluar minor release? Typically, when you install you are getting a package set available from a specific minor release number. But what minor release is the o.s. at if I just update the centos-release package, and no other package? Typically, a 'yum update' is said to take your whole package set to the latest minor release. But what minor release is the o.s. if you just update certain packages (instead of taking all avaailable updates)?
Can I apply package updates made in a minor release greater than my current release without detriment to the integrity of the o.s.?
E.g. Suppose all my packages are at versions delivered in v5.6. Suppose also, that I have a package xyz installed, and that an update to it was made available in v5.8. Can I upgrade xyz to the updated version from 5.8 without updating other packages (except for any dependencies xyz has) to the versions available in v5.8?
Thanks,
This topic seems to arise often. For my simple mind it works like this: Lets say CentOS 6.0 is released - it is the base. Various updates occur - yum update allows you to apply these to your system. After a period - determined by our generous upstream benefactor - they decide to take a snap-shot of all the changes thus far, roll in a few more and call it version 6.1 and it becomes the new base. As time progresses the various "versions" are released, however they are simply a snapshot in time of all the various updates and patches to each of the rpms. HTH
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Jim Wildman -
John R Pierce -
Jon Detert -
Les Mikesell -
Ljubomir Ljubojevic -
Phil Schaffner -
Rob Kampen -
Scott Silva