How to keep Slackware up-to-date?

objorkum · 11-20-2004, 09:09 AM

I have understood that I should keep Slackware up-to-date by installing the packages in the /patches directory on a Slackware mirror.

What is the best way to keep Slackware up-to-date? Kan any tools upgrade the needed packages automatically?

rutty · 11-20-2004, 09:29 AM

Shilo recommends swaret:

http://swaret.sourceforge.net/index.php

Check out his Slackware run-through:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=174447

It's helped me no end

slackaddict · 11-20-2004, 09:35 AM

I use slapt-get (http://software.jaos.org) myself and have had no probs. It can check for, download and install updates for slackware-9.0 to 10.0 or you can use it to stay up to date with slackware-current.

Swaret (http://swaret.sourceforge.net) is another poular one, I think the only way to know which is best for you is to try them out.

Hope that helps :-)

ringwraith · 11-20-2004, 10:33 AM

Also many of us download the updates listed in the changelogs and then download them with wget. There are also many that rsync a copy of current to their HD and then upgradepkg them from there. If you use the auto updaters, please read the changelogs regularly. Otherwise you will be on here posting about screwing up your system.

eelriver · 11-20-2004, 12:16 PM

I have to even this out here and vote for reading the Changelogs and downloading the packages as needed then using "upgradepkg". If you read the Changelog regularly there is never that much that needs to be downloaded at one time. I'm one of those that keeps my own "mirror" and rsyncs as needed.
You could subscribe to one of the Slackware mailing lists: http://www.slackware.com/lists/ to recieve notice when a security update is avalible, etc. These are not spam lists, but official notification lists.

KMcD · 11-22-2004, 03:07 AM

I use Swaret to download the upgraded packages but I use upgradepkg to actually do the upgrading AFTER reading the Changelog. As has already been said, you ignore the Changelog at your peril.

Slovak · 11-22-2004, 04:39 AM

I hate to sound stupid, but where is the changelog located?

eelriver · 11-22-2004, 04:54 AM

http://www.slackware.com/changelog/

Slovak · 11-22-2004, 04:22 PM

Thanks.
What's the difference between Slack 10 and current? What I actually mean is the current stable releases like Slack 10 are?

predator.hawk · 11-22-2004, 06:30 PM

-current is the development area, stuff doesn't always work.

neilman · 11-22-2004, 06:56 PM

I'm also a swaret user, and I really dig it. I would, however, always recommend caution when installing new C libraries (libstdc, glibc, etc.). Those are the C libraries that are required to be in order for your system to run, or better yet, boot up. If there were a definitive guide to upgrading the C libraries smoothly and properly (even better if it was with swaret), that would be a swell link to bookmark.

Slovak · 11-22-2004, 08:29 PM

Speaking of upgrades, what is glibc and mod_ssl for? Should I upgrade them?

neilman · 11-23-2004, 01:59 AM

glibc is the GNU C library. If you are running a production server, or even a very important workstation, my suggestion is not to upgrade glibc. What is your current version, and which version are you wishing to upgrade to? Answer that question first, and I'm sure you'll get some feedback from the more experienced users on that topic.

mod_ssl is an Apache module for SSL (secure sockets layer). mod_ssl uses the OpenSSL toolkit to provide the cryptography on the Web server. Read more about it at modssl.org.

Slovak · 11-23-2004, 04:36 AM

My glibc version is 2.3.2-i486-6, and the upgrade I was wondering about is 2.3.2-i486-7 listed in the Slack 10 stable changelog.

eelriver · 11-23-2004, 04:43 AM

Don't upgrade glibc unless you have a really good reason to. For now I would stick with Slackware 10 and only upgrade with security patches.
If your detemined to try out -current, it needs to be done in order of package release, from oldest to newest because packages made after an upgrade of something like glibc were compiled against it.
It is best not to mix and match.