NetBSD binary sets system upgrade

Upgrading the system from binary sets it's a quite straightforward process. Here are the steps.

Perform a minimal safety backup

#> tar zcvf etc-backup.tar.gz /etc
#> cp /netbsd /netbsd.old

Upgrade the kernel (and modules)

If you use a modular kernel, use the following commands:

#> tar zxvpf kern-GENERIC.tgz -C /
#> tar zxvpf modules.tgz -C /

If you are using a monolithic kernel, and like keep using it, you just need to type:

#> tar zxvpf kern-MONOLITHIC.tgz -C /

Upgrade the userland

#> tar zxvpf base.tgz -C /
#> tar zxvpf comp.tgz -C /
...
#> tar zxvpf games.tgz -C /

Upgrade configuration files

Assuming etc.tgz and xetc.tgz are stored in /home/adotti/sets:

#> etcupdate -av -s /home/adotti/sets/etc.tgz -s /home/adotti/sets/xetc.tgz

Additional notes

If the upgrade involves a major version (from 2.x to 3.x for example), the system must be rebooted right after the new kernel has been installed, and before upgrading the userland, otherwise erratic behaviours may occur.

After the upgrade process, beside etcupdate, it is also advisable to run postinstall to check if any old and useless files were left around, and to perform other cleanup tasks.