Upgrading server software to newer and bugfixed releases is an important step when running servers attached to the internet. If you do not care about this topic, you will run into trouble, because hackers from around the world might gain access to your server.

Hackers, that gain access to your servers might start attacks against other systems or updoaded contents contents might break local or international laws. Opterators/Owners of server systems are liable for all actions initiated from this computer and for hosted contents!

This article will introduce how to keep your server up-to-date and how to perform upgrades to more recent revisions of your openSUSE 11.x distribution, if software repositories become unmaintained your installed revision of openSUSE is based on.

Introduction

openSUSE distributions of the 11.x development line consist of various sub-releases. Typically there will be made available the following sub-releases: 11.0, 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 and 11.4. The standard process for upgrading software will stay within you currently installed sub-release. (If you have got installed rev. 11.2 you will be able to upgrade software packages provided for this release, only). Contents of software updates are limited to bugfixes and minor feature updates. If you are required to install more up-to-date versions of software packages you have got the choice to perform the installation manually or you have to perform an upgrade to a more recent sub-releases of openSUSE.

To upgrade from one sub-release to another you have to perform some additional steps.

All required steps to update and upgarde your openSUSE distribution may be found in the following sections.

If you are not willing to perform these kind of upgrades manually, you may contact Linux professionals at http://support.linux-support.com. Creation of Backups and applying Upgrades to Linux-Systems can be performed quickly.

Updating Software

For updating software within your presently installed (sub-)revison you have to perform the following steps.

Please keep in mind, that single software packages might require a manual reconfiguration. So take care, that your installed software components are still working after completing the update process.

Install Patches

To install updates provided for already installed packages you may apply patches to your system. The following command line session contains some examples.

# update your local database with available contents of remote repositories$ sudo zypper refresh # check whether there are patches available for your system$ zypper patch-checkLoading repository data...Reading installed packages...1 patch needed (0 security patches) # print a list of available patches for your system$ zypper list-patchesLoading repository data...Reading installed packages... Repository           | Name               | Version | Category    | Status---------------------+--------------------+---------+-------------+-------openSUSE-11.4-Update | apache2-mod_python | 4092    | recommended | neededopenSUSE-11.4-Update | libpcsclite1       | 4123    | recommended | neededopenSUSE-11.4-Update | libtiff-devel      | 4144    | security    | neededopenSUSE-11.4-Update | timezone-2011c     | 4140    | recommended | neededopenSUSE-11.4-Update | tk                 | 4141    | recommended | needed # list all available patches (regardless whether installed or not)$ zypper patchesLoading repository data...Reading installed packages...Catalog              | Name                | Version | Category    | Status---------------------+---------------------+---------+-------------+---------------openSUSE-11.4-Update | MozillaThunderbird  | 4149    | security    | Not ApplicableopenSUSE-11.4-Update | apache2-mod_python  | 4092    | recommended | NeededopenSUSE-11.4-Update | fetchmsttfonts      | 4120    | optional    | Not ApplicableopenSUSE-11.4-Update | flash-player        | 4053    | recommended | Not ApplicableopenSUSE-11.4-Update | gjs                 | 4121    | recommended | Not ApplicableopenSUSE-11.4-Update | libpcsclite1        | 4123    | recommended | NeededopenSUSE-11.4-Update | libtiff-devel       | 4144    | security    | NeededopenSUSE-11.4-Update | mozilla-js192       | 4105    | security    | Not ApplicableopenSUSE-11.4-Update | ndesk-dbus-glib     | 4117    | recommended | Not ApplicableopenSUSE-11.4-Update | pullin-flash-player | 4054    | recommended | Not ApplicableopenSUSE-11.4-Update | seamonkey           | 4113    | security    | Not ApplicableopenSUSE-11.4-Update | timezone-2011c      | 4140    | recommended | NeededopenSUSE-11.4-Update | tk                  | 4141    | recommended | Needed # install patches$ sudo zypper patchLoading repository data...Reading installed packages...Resolving package dependencies... The following NEW patches are going to be installed:  apache2-mod_python libpcsclite1 libtiff-devel timezone-2011c tk The following packages are going to be upgraded:  apache2-mod_python libpcsclite1 libtiff3 libtiff3-32bit pcsc-lite timezone tk 7 packages to upgrade.Overall download size: 3.0 MiB. After the operation, additional 2.0 KiB will be used.Continue? [y/n/?] (y): y[...]Retrieving package pcsc-lite-1.6.6-4.3.1.x86_64 (7/7), 150.0 KiB (532.0 KiB unpacked)Retrieving: pcsc-lite-1.6.6-4.3.1.x86_64.rpm [done]Installing: libtiff3-32bit-3.9.4-3.3.1 [done]Installing: libtiff3-3.9.4-3.3.1 [done]Installing: libpcsclite1-1.6.6-4.3.1 [done]Installing: tk-8.5.9-3.3.1 [done]Installing: timezone-2011c-0.3.1 [done]Installing: apache2-mod_python-3.3.1-161.3.1 [done]Installing: pcsc-lite-1.6.6-4.3.1 [done]Additional rpm output:Updating /etc/sysconfig/pcscd... 

Update Your Server

When installing patches only software packages will be updated that are already installed in your system. By running an update additionally new software packages will be installed, if they are required because of updated dependencies. So most of the time you will utilize the parameter ‘update’ to keep your systems up-to-date.

# update your local database with available contents of remote repositories$ sudo zypper refresh # list all available packages to be updated$ zypper list-updates # Update your local system$ sudo zypper update 

Upgrade Your Server

When you are required to perform an upgrade to a new release branch of your distribution you have got some options to be successfull with this task. The following steps provide a fail-save way to perform the system upgrade successfully.

All introduced upgrade processes have been verified to work without any problems for the following upgrade paths:

• 11.0 → 11.1 → 11.2 → 11.3 → 11.4
• 11.x → 11.4

Update List of Repositories

Software repositories hold software packages and meta data required to manage dependencies, upgrade paths and so on. Each release of a distribution references an own set repositories. So you have to modify urls pointing to repositories of the release version of your desire.

The next few screenshots illustrate how to utilize Yast2 at command lint to reconfigure your repository url’s. Please note, that the number of repositories registered in your system may vary compared to this example.

• Open the list of registered repositories

• The list of configured repositories. (In this example we are upgrading from release 11.2). To edit repository entries press [TAB] as long as the cursor is located at a repository entry. Then you may change the selected repository by utilizing the arrow keys. To edit a repository please highlight the desired entry and press [ALT]-I.

• Now we have to change name and url of the repository. (In this example we are upgrading to release 11.4). When saving the dataset Yast2 will try to verify the url !

• The list of updated repository entries.

Now you can close Yast2 and you are ready to start the upgrade process.

Perform the Upgrade

To start the upgrade process, you have to key-in the following commands:

# update repository cache
$ sudo zypper ref
 
# optional: upgrade zypper in advance
$ sudo zypper in
 
# start the upgrade
$ sudo zypper dup
 
# remove old cache entries
$ sudo zypper clean
 
# finally perform a reboot to run the updated kernel
$ reboot
 

The following screenshots illustrate how the upgrade process might look like.

Have a lot of fun … with your upgraded system.

Related resources:

• Notes for upgrading openSUSE

Incoming search terms:

• zypper category status needed