Table of Contents
Abstract
SUSE LINUX provides the option of updating an existing system without completely reinstalling it. There are two types of updates: updating individual software packages and updating the entire system. Packages can also be installed by hand using the package manager RPM.
Software tends to “grow” from version to version. Therefore, take a look at the available partition space with df before updating. If you suspect you are running short of disk space, secure your data before updating and repartition your system. There is no general rule of thumb regarding how much space each partition should have. Space requirements depend on your particular partitioning profile, the software selected, and the version numbers of SUSE LINUX.
Before updating, copy the old configuration files to a
separate medium, such as streamer, removable hard disk, or ZIP drive, to
secure the data. This primarily
applies to files stored in /etc
as well
as some of the directories and files in /var
and /opt
. You
may also want to write the user data in /home
(the
HOME
directories) to a backup medium. Back up this data as
root
. Only
root
has read permission
for all local files.
Before starting your update, make note of the root partition. The
command df / lists the device name of the root
partition. In Example 4.1, “List with df -h”, the root partition to write down is
/dev/hda2
(mounted as
/
).
Following the preparation procedure outlined in Section 4.1.1, “Preparations”, you can now update your system:
Boot the system as for the installation, described in Section 1.1, “System Start-Up for Installation”. In YaST, choose a language and select . Do not select .
YaST determines whether there are multiple root partitions. If
there is only one, continue with the next step. If there are several,
select the right partition and confirm with /dev/hda2
was selected in the example in
Section 4.1.1, “Preparations”). YaST reads the
old fstab
on this partition to
analyze and mount the file systems listed there.
Then you have the possibility to make a backup copy of the system files during the update. This option slows down the update process. Use this option if you do not have a recent system backup.
In the following dialog, either choose to update only the software that is already installed or to add new software components to the system (upgrade mode). It is advisable to accept the suggested composition, for example,
. Adjustments can be made later with YaST.Regardless of your overall updated environment, you can always update individual packages. From this point on, however, it is your responsibility to ensure that your system remains consistent. Update advice can be found at http://www.novell.com/linux/download/updates/.
Select components from the YaST package selection list according to your needs. If you select a package essential for the overall operation of the system, YaST issues a warning. Such packages should be updated only in the update mode. For example, many packages contain shared libraries. If you update these programs and applications in the running system, things might malfunction.