Migrating from RH9 Legacy to CentOS 3

With the end of Legacy support for RH9, I'd like to migrate
my Fedora
Legacified RH9 box to Centos 3.

I've used these directions in the past to successfully
migrate from
non-legacy RH9 to Centos 3.1 using yum:

  http
://www.owlriver.com/tips/centos-31-ex-rhl-9/

Any thoughts on whether this should also work with the
.legacy packages?

Thanks in advance.

-David

--
fedora-legacy-list mailing list
fedora-legacy-listredhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-legacy-
list

Quoting David Eisner <cradleumd.edu>:

> With the end of Legacy support for RH9, I'd like to
migrate my Fedora
> Legacified RH9 box to Centos 3.

Sounds reasonable.

> I've used these directions in the past to successfully
migrate from
> non-legacy RH9 to Centos 3.1 using yum:
>
>   http
://www.owlriver.com/tips/centos-31-ex-rhl-9/
>
> Any thoughts on whether this should also work with the
.legacy packages?

Should work fine.  Sometimes you will find a dependency
issue to work
around.  Often that means removing the old package. 
Sometimes it might
mean changing yum's "exactarch=1" to
"exactarch=0" to get around a
dependency issue caused by architecture changes (from i386
to noarch
or vise-versa, or from 32 bit to 64 bit, etc).

Generally it runs smoothly, but occassionally some thought
must be put
into resolving some dependency issue...

One thing I don't see mentioned much.  First, do a "yum
update" or
"yum upgrade" on the RHL 9 repo.  Then do a
"yum clean" to free
up disk space.  Then do your yum upgrade to Centos. 
Otherwise, you
will have your old RHL yum cache taking up a lot of space...

> Thanks in advance.
>
> -David

-- 
Eric Rostetter
The Department of Physics
The University of Texas at Austin

Go Longhorns!

--
fedora-legacy-list mailing list
fedora-legacy-listredhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-legacy-
list

On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 11:33:18 -0400, Eric Rostetter  
<rostettermail.utexas.edu> wrote:

> Quoting David Eisner <cradleumd.edu>:
>
>> With the end of Legacy support for RH9, I'd like to
migrate my Fedora
>> Legacified RH9 box to Centos 3.
>
> Sounds reasonable.
>
>> I've used these directions in the past to
successfully migrate from
>> non-legacy RH9 to Centos 3.1 using yum:
>>
>>   http
://www.owlriver.com/tips/centos-31-ex-rhl-9/
>>
>> Any thoughts on whether this should also work with
the .legacy packages?
>
> Should work fine.  Sometimes you will find a dependency
issue to work
> around.  Often that means removing the old package. 
Sometimes it might
> mean changing yum's "exactarch=1" to
"exactarch=0" to get around a
> dependency issue caused by architecture changes (from
i386 to noarch
> or vise-versa, or from 32 bit to 64 bit, etc).
>
> Generally it runs smoothly, but occassionally some
thought must be put
> into resolving some dependency issue...
>
> One thing I don't see mentioned much.  First, do a
"yum update" or
> "yum upgrade" on the RHL 9 repo.  Then do a
"yum clean" to free
> up disk space.  Then do your yum upgrade to Centos. 
Otherwise, you
> will have your old RHL yum cache taking up a lot of
space...
>
>> Thanks in advance.
>>
>> -David
>

I'm still using RedHat 9 and up2date.
What would I have to do to upgrade to a fedora version?



-- 
Ralph E. Kenyon, Jr.
http://www.xenodo
chy.org/ralph.html
191 White Oaks Road
Williamstown, MA 01267-2259
Phone: 413-458-3597

Home pages:
http://www.xenodochy.org
http://www.ballroomdanc
es.org
-------------------------------------------------------
FIGHT SPAM http:
//www.xenodochy.org/diogenes/antispam.html
(If you are thinking about collecting my email address, read
the above  
page first!)
------------------------------------------------------
Plain text markup: *bold*, /italic/, _underline_, LOUD
--------------------------------------------------------
Keep our semantic environments and cyberspace clean.
Always report errors discovered while surfing the web.
------------------------------------------------------
My favorite saying (from general semantics):
It's not that seeing is believing, believing is seeing,
and we're much better at believing than we are at seeing.
htt
p://www.xenodochy.org/ex/quotes/santayana.html

--
fedora-legacy-list mailing list
fedora-legacy-listredhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-legacy-
list

Quoting "Ralph E. Kenyon, Jr." <diogenesxenodochy.org>:

> I'm still using RedHat 9 and up2date.
> What would I have to do to upgrade to a fedora version?

You can either:

1) Install "yum" and upgrade that way
2) Download and burn a Fedora Core (or whatever
RHEL/FedoraCore based distro
    you want) ISO to a cdrom, boot from the cdrom, and
upgrade that way.

If you want to go from RHL 9 to some similar version (Centos
3.x, Fedora Core
1, etc) then you can upgrade fairly painlessly either way. 
If you want to
skip generations (upgrade to Centos 4.x, Fedora Core 5, etc)
then you will
probably have lots of problems/issues, and I don't recommend
skipping over
versions like that.  In those cases, I do multiple
consecutive upgrades
(e.g. RHL 9 -> Fedora Core 1 -> Fedora Core 2 ->
Fedora Core 5, or
RHL 9 -> Centos 3.x -> Centos 4.x).  There is just too
much different
between RHL 9 and current OS versions to rely on the upgrade
between them
without going through some inbetween releases.

-- 
Eric Rostetter
The Department of Physics
The University of Texas at Austin

Go Longhorns!

--
fedora-legacy-list mailing list
fedora-legacy-listredhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-legacy-
list

On Tue, 24 Oct 2006, David Eisner wrote:

> With the end of Legacy support for RH9, I'd like to
migrate my Fedora
> Legacified RH9 box to Centos 3.
>  http
://www.owlriver.com/tips/centos-31-ex-rhl-9/
> Any thoughts on whether this should also work with the
.legacy packages?

As author of the migration instructions in question, let me 
give an unqualified "Yes, probably" ....  ;)

I would feel safer 'stretching' into CentOS-4, just to get
the 
later kernel, and buying the longer lifespan, but a move
with 
a set of CentOS 3.8 spins ISO images will work, if you are 
a dead plain install wholly mediated by RPM, with minimal or

no transition issues.  But please:
 	1.  	level 0 backup
 	2.	strip out unused packages -- a good idea
 		anyway
 	3.	possibly reboot and force a full fsck on all
 		partitions
 	4.	remove /home if at a separate mountpoint, from
 		the fstab -- no reason to risk the data

good luck -- please let us know how it turns out.

- Russ Herrold

--
fedora-legacy-list mailing list
fedora-legacy-listredhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-legacy-
list

On Tue, 24 Oct 2006, David Eisner wrote:

> With the end of Legacy support for RH9, I'd like to
migrate my Fedora
> Legacified RH9 box to Centos 3.
>  http
://www.owlriver.com/tips/centos-31-ex-rhl-9/
> Any thoughts on whether this should also work with the
.legacy packages?

As author of the migration instructions in question, let me 
give an unqualified "Yes, probably" ....  ;)

I would feel safer 'stretching' into CentOS-4, just to get
the 
later kernel, and buying the longer lifespan, but a move
with 
a set of CentOS 3.8 spins ISO images will work, if you are 
a dead plain install wholly mediated by RPM, with minimal or

no transition issues.  But please:
 	1.  	level 0 backup
 	2.	strip out unused packages -- a good idea
 		anyway
 	3.	possibly reboot and force a full fsck on all
 		partitions
 	4.	remove /home if at a separate mountpoint, from
 		the fstab -- no reason to risk the data

good luck -- please let us know how it turns out.

- Russ Herrold

--
fedora-legacy-list mailing list
fedora-legacy-listredhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-legacy-
list

R P Herrold wrote:
> On Tue, 24 Oct 2006, David Eisner wrote:
> 
>> With the end of Legacy support for RH9, I'd like to
migrate my Fedora
>> Legacified RH9 box to Centos 3.
>>  http
://www.owlriver.com/tips/centos-31-ex-rhl-9/
>> Any thoughts on whether this should also work with
the .legacy packages?
> 
> 
> As author of the migration instructions in question,
let me give an 
> unqualified "Yes, probably" ....  ;)
> 
> I would feel safer 'stretching' into CentOS-4, just to
get the later 
> kernel, and buying the longer lifespan, but a move with
a set of CentOS 
> 3.8 spins ISO images will work, if you are a dead plain
install wholly 
> mediated by RPM, with minimal or no transition issues. 
But please:
>     1.      level 0 backup
>     2.    strip out unused packages -- a good idea
>         anyway
>     3.    possibly reboot and force a full fsck on all
>         partitions
>     4.    remove /home if at a separate mountpoint,
from
>         the fstab -- no reason to risk the data
> 

I may be introducing another layer of complication here but
I have found 
various OS Virtualization tools such OpenVZ extremely handy
for for 
migrating / updating servers with legacy RH operating
systems.

Basically we have had a spare server where we have loaded
the latest 
Centos OS and installed the openvz kernel and utilities (all
in RPM 
format) and reboot.

All we have to do then is copy/backup the legacy RH9 server
into a the 
new openvz node (typically into /vz/private/<veid)).
Basically rsync / 
/home /var /usr etc (you don't need /boot or /lib/modules as
you won't 
be running the RH9 kernel) . Then create a ve conf file for
the RH9 VPS
and then boot the RH9 VPS (easier if your VPS hardware node
is on the 
same IP subnet).

With your virtualised RH9 "server" running in VPS
you are free to 
reformat or re-install the original server. If when you have

re-installed the server and copied over the data, you find
something is 
broken, just fall back to your VPS "copy."

You could even test an OS upgrade using yum from within a VE
before you
carrying out an upgrade on a real server.

On this particular server we are running 5 OS's including
RH9 under an 
openvz test kernel (there is now a new version of this
kernel ;o)) :

[rootvm5 config]# cat /etc/redhat-release
CentOS release 4.3 (Final)

[rootvm5 ~]# uname -a
Linux vm5.xxxxxx.com 2.6.16-026test014.4-smp #1 SMP Wed Jun
7 17:01:29 
MSD 2006 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

[rootvm5 ~]# vzlist
      VPSID      NPROC STATUS  IP_ADDR         HOSTNAME
       6001         35 running 83.xxxxxxxxxx   secure1.xxxxx
  <--RH9
       6002         58 running 83.xxxxxxxxxx   server1.xxxxx
  <--Centos3
       6003          1 running 83.xxxxxxxxxx  
test-gentoo.xxxx<--Gentoo
       6004         49 running 83.xxxxxxxxxx   server1.xxxx 
  <--RH9
       6006         26 running 83.xxxxxxxxxx   status.xxxx  
  <--FC6

Also has the advantage that we were able to run 10 or more
(legacy) VPS 
on the same physical hardware freeing up lots of real boxes
(depends on 
how busy the servers are and the power of the hardware
node).

The only thing is I have not been able to create pristine
RH9 template 
using yum (but then again I don't need to as I just copy
legacy boxes). 
When FC6 came out this week it was a doddle to create an FC6
template 
and boot an FC6 VPS.

There are other virtualisation technologies such as xen and
vserver and 
openvps etc which would help ease migration paths - all you
need have is 
one spare server, but I have jut found openvz the easiest to
configure 
and setup.

www.openvz.org

Regards


Paul Lee
Weycrest.Net






--
fedora-legacy-list mailing list
fedora-legacy-listredhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-legacy-
list

R P Herrold wrote:
> On Tue, 24 Oct 2006, David Eisner wrote:
> 
>> With the end of Legacy support for RH9, I'd like to
migrate my Fedora
>> Legacified RH9 box to Centos 3.
>>  http
://www.owlriver.com/tips/centos-31-ex-rhl-9/
>> Any thoughts on whether this should also work with
the .legacy packages?
> 
> 
> As author of the migration instructions in question,
let me give an 
> unqualified "Yes, probably" ....  ;)
> 
> I would feel safer 'stretching' into CentOS-4, just to
get the later 
> kernel, and buying the longer lifespan, but a move with
a set of CentOS 
> 3.8 spins ISO images will work, if you are a dead plain
install wholly 
> mediated by RPM, with minimal or no transition issues. 
But please:
>     1.      level 0 backup
>     2.    strip out unused packages -- a good idea
>         anyway
>     3.    possibly reboot and force a full fsck on all
>         partitions
>     4.    remove /home if at a separate mountpoint,
from
>         the fstab -- no reason to risk the data
> 

I may be introducing another layer of complication here but
I have found 
various OS Virtualization tools such OpenVZ extremely handy
for for 
migrating / updating servers with legacy RH operating
systems.

Basically we have had a spare server where we have loaded
the latest 
Centos OS and installed the openvz kernel and utilities (all
in RPM 
format) and reboot.

All we have to do then is copy/backup the legacy RH9 server
into a the 
new openvz node (typically into /vz/private/<veid)).
Basically rsync / 
/home /var /usr etc (you don't need /boot or /lib/modules as
you won't 
be running the RH9 kernel) . Then create a ve conf file for
the RH9 VPS
and then boot the RH9 VPS (easier if your VPS hardware node
is on the 
same IP subnet).

With your virtualised RH9 "server" running in VPS
you are free to 
reformat or re-install the original server. If when you have

re-installed the server and copied over the data, you find
something is 
broken, just fall back to your VPS "copy."

You could even test an OS upgrade using yum from within a VE
before you
carrying out an upgrade on a real server.

On this particular server we are running 5 OS's including
RH9 under an 
openvz test kernel (there is now a new version of this
kernel ;o)) :

[rootvm5 config]# cat /etc/redhat-release
CentOS release 4.3 (Final)

[rootvm5 ~]# uname -a
Linux vm5.xxxxxx.com 2.6.16-026test014.4-smp #1 SMP Wed Jun
7 17:01:29 
MSD 2006 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

[rootvm5 ~]# vzlist
      VPSID      NPROC STATUS  IP_ADDR         HOSTNAME
       6001         35 running 83.xxxxxxxxxx   secure1.xxxxx
  <--RH9
       6002         58 running 83.xxxxxxxxxx   server1.xxxxx
  <--Centos3
       6003          1 running 83.xxxxxxxxxx  
test-gentoo.xxxx<--Gentoo
       6004         49 running 83.xxxxxxxxxx   server1.xxxx 
  <--RH9
       6006         26 running 83.xxxxxxxxxx   status.xxxx  
  <--FC6

Also has the advantage that we were able to run 10 or more
(legacy) VPS 
on the same physical hardware freeing up lots of real boxes
(depends on 
how busy the servers are and the power of the hardware
node).

The only thing is I have not been able to create pristine
RH9 template 
using yum (but then again I don't need to as I just copy
legacy boxes). 
When FC6 came out this week it was a doddle to create an FC6
template 
and boot an FC6 VPS.

There are other virtualisation technologies such as xen and
vserver and 
openvps etc which would help ease migration paths - all you
need have is 
one spare server, but I have jut found openvz the easiest to
configure 
and setup.

www.openvz.org

Regards


Paul Lee
Weycrest.Net






--
fedora-legacy-list mailing list
fedora-legacy-listredhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-legacy-
list

On Sun, Oct 29, 2006 at 01:36:18PM +0000, Paul Lee wrote:
> 
> All we have to do then is copy/backup the legacy RH9
server into a the 
> new openvz node (typically into /vz/private/<veid)).
Basically rsync / 
> /home /var /usr etc

A word of warning here.  When you are doing operations like
the
above, for whatever reasons, skip /var/log/lastlog file. 
Not only
an information in it will not be useful later but this is a
sparse
file and it is "very sparse".    On
x86_64 installation its
length will be in order of 1.2 TB while its size, in disk
blocks,
somewhere between 60 and 70 K.  For i386 differences are not
so
dramatic. Typically around 20 MB versus 20-30 K (it varies
with a
number of accounts on an installation).  Still you do not
need it.
Even if you did not forget about option -S to rsync, and
similar if
you are using some other utility, reading through 1.2 TB
takes a
long while. With 32-bits this is far from beeing that bad
but better
get into habit. 

There are other sparse files laying around, typically those
in
/var/lib/rpm/, but gaps between lengths and sizes are not
likely
be so significant.

    Michal

--
fedora-legacy-list mailing list
fedora-legacy-listredhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-legacy-
list

Michal Jaegermann wrote:

> On Sun, Oct 29, 2006 at 01:36:18PM +0000, Paul Lee
wrote:
> 
>>All we have to do then is copy/backup the legacy RH9
server into a the 
>>new openvz node (typically into
/vz/private/<veid)). Basically rsync / 
>>/home /var /usr etc
> 
> 
> A word of warning here.  When you are doing operations
like the
> above, for whatever reasons, skip /var/log/lastlog
file.  Not only
> an information in it will not be useful later but this
is a sparse
> file and it is "very sparse".    

Thats a good point. But another reason I like Openvz. The
"file system" 
is entirely quota based so scales dynamically and "on
the fly" to the 
full extent of the space available on the disc.

With Xen/UML etc its alo neccessary it create an image file
with dd, 
then format it for ext3, them would have to mount the
"image" as 
loopback device and the start copying your legacy system
into the "file" 
etc..

These steps are entirely eliminated with openvz. You just
copy to 
/vz/private/<vzid> (obviously with some refinements to
avoid copying too 
much "junk," to save time and speed - you just
need a big enough /var 
partition ;o)). You can cd straight into these directories.
Create you 
vz.conf file then "boot" the VE instance.

I know you can create "sparse" disc images for
xen, uml etc which grow 
dynamically but there tends to be a performance issue.

Anyway I'm perhaps wandering a bit "off topic"
here  ;o)

Regards


Paul Lee
Weycrest.Net

--
fedora-legacy-list mailing list
fedora-legacy-listredhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-legacy-
list