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Updating Slackware using Swaret
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CommentsDownload the stable version (1.6.2, from October 2004) or the development version of Swaret and rename the downloaded file so that you can install it using installpkg:
$ cp swaret-1.6.2-noarch-1.tgz.tar swaret-1.6.2-noarch-1.tgz
From there you need to become superuser or log in as root to install the software using the installpkg command:
# installpkg swaret-1.6.2-noarch-1.tgz
Rename the conf file located in the /etc folder:
# cp /etc/swaret.conf.new /etc/swaret.conf
Next, set the version of Slackware you wish to keep on your computer. You can set it to 11.0 or current. Current is the most up-to-date version, and it may be unstable and could pose problems, but it should be easier to upgrade to the next version when it rolls out. I keep some servers on current and others, the ones I consider critical, on 11.0:
# swaret --set VERSION=11.0
Now you can update the list of packages Swaret uses:
# swaret --update
When that command completes successfully you can run the upgrades. You can use the -a switch to automatically install all new updates without being prompted, or use no switch to be prompted for each package update:
# swaret --upgrade
Since version 11.0 has just come out there won't be many updates right away, so don't expect much at first.
You can also use Swaret to install programs that were not installed originally by using this command (replace package-name with the actual name of the package):
# swaret --install package-name
Here is a simple script you can place in one of your cron folders to run Swaret on a regular schedule:
#!/bin/bash
#
#swaret-update.sh
#
# this will download the update files needed to upgrade
#
swaret --update
#
#
# this will update all the packages automatically
#
swaret --upgrade -a
#
# send an email notifying that the update was complete
#
echo "The updates were completed" | mail -s "Swaret Update" username
#
#eof
I have this script in my weekly cron folder under /etc/cron.weekly. Be aware that this will install all the update packages automatically, whether you want them or not.
Comments
on Updating Slackware using SwaretNote: Comments are owned by the poster. We are not responsible for their content.
No, first install the new/updated version and then afterwards remove the old one. That's the best way, because pkgtool checks for dependecies.
Gtx Jan.
Swaret:
[Good] Checks GPG signatures instead of MD5 checksums.
[Good] Checks binary dependencies without using any additional information. This is quite useful.
[Good] As easy to use as slapt-get.
[Bad] It's a shell script. Very big. Very, very slow. slapt-get uses much, much less CPU.
[Bad] I didn't find a way, and let me know if there's one because I truly tried to find it, of automatically downloading and installing patches for the installed packages. You can either answer manually or install all of them, including the ones belonging to previously not installed packages.
Slapt-get:
[Good] Written in C and it's much faster.
[Good] It has the patch behaviour I commented previously, that swaret seems to lack.
[Good] Keeps directory hierarchy in downloaded packages.
[Good] Has the option of removing local packages not present in the remote side (good for people using -current, to clean the package tree from time to time).
[Bad] Doesn't detect binary dependencies.
[Bad] Doesn't check GPG signatures.
[Bad] I don't like the output format. It's similar to the one from apt-get. Swaret's output format isn't beautiful either, but I like it better.
Re:Swaret and slapt-get from my point of view
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on October 20, 2006 09:36 AMCurrent doesn't have any patches; they just become the new package. By setting the version to 11.0 (or whatever version is installed) and using the upgrade command, it looks at what packages you have installed (by referencing the<nobr> <wbr></nobr>/var/log/packages directory) and downloads available patches for installed apps.
At least that's the way it works for me when I run swaret. (Point in note: I don't install KDE/X on my server(s) and swaret skips those patches when I issue an --upgrade -a)
Re:Swaret and slapt-get from my point of view
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on October 20, 2006 11:46 PMRe:Swaret and slapt-get from my point of view
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on October 21, 2006 12:25 AM[Bad] Doesn't detect binary dependencies.
Slapt-get can actually check for dependencies if a file called slack-required is in the install directory of the package. It can also resolve dependency conflicts based on the contents of slack-conflicts. "Official" Slackware packages do not include either of those files in the package. That's why there is no dependency checking for "official" Slackware packages.
With that said, however, slapt-get WILL check for dependencies in packages made by some Slack derivative distros like VectorLinux. It will also check for dependencies in packages distributed through linuxpackages.net.
Please read the following FAQ item from Jason Woodward's web site regarding slapt-get and dependency checking: <a href="http://software.jaos.org/BUILD/slapt-get/FAQ.html#slgFAQ10" title="jaos.org">http://software.jaos.org/BUILD/slapt-get/FAQ.html<nobr>#<wbr></nobr> slgFAQ10</a jaos.org>
If you upgraded php without installing mm, it don't go.
I used swaret, but i choose slapt-get because it's faster.
But either the 2 tools lack for managing dependencies (on server-like installations).
Re:Swaret and slapt-get from my point of view
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on October 21, 2006 06:35 PMLinuxSneaker (maintainer of swaret)
Hmm?
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on October 19, 2006 11:57 PMI don't have to configure any config files?
It wont fuck anything up?
I don't need todo anything manually?
If I use slaptget, and put it in cron, my system will always be up-to-date without me have todo or worry about anything?
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