How often should I update? Are there risks?

[NightNetworks]

I am new to FreeNAS and I am trying to get an idea of how the updates work and when I should and should not install them.

• How often should I update? Or is this one of those things where if its not broke dont fix it kinda thing?
• How often are FreeNAS updates released... I guess what I am really asking is are updates released every day... Or are they only really released when there are serious issues that has been found. Thus implying that it would be best to install every update as soon as possible.
• Whats the FreenNAS track record for updates look like? Another words are they like some AV companies that decide from time to time to push an update that blocks svchost and then turns around and issues a lame apologize?
• When I do decide to update what are the key things that I should be backing up (aside from the data of course) before doing the update? Another words what tends to break if anything...

Any and all input is greatly appreciated!

 

[joeschmuck]

Well how often you update FreeNAS is going to depend on your personality and your use. If you have to be on the cutting edge then you will allow automatic updates and be willing to accept any issues which crop up.

My opinion is, if you are not an active member, meaning contributor and tester of FreeNAS, only upgrade when you feel the need. If your FreeNAS is on an internal network, well you likely do not need the security updates that typically come out periodically along with typically minor fixes for most people. If it ain't broke, don't fix it sounds good to me. I currently wait a few weeks minimum before I upgrade to see what the fallout is. I've done my fair share of testing in the 8.x through 9.2.x days, and I still play around some but the software release process is different now so I don't play like I use to.

Updates are issued as needed.

You should have a current backup of your configuration file and if you encrypt your hard drives (I strongly recommend against it for a home user) then all the files for that as well.

 

[Darren Myers]

I asked a similar question, and got some pretty funny results https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/freenas-reboots.30249/

Just this last December I did my yearly maintenance on my servers and had an uptime of 375 days on all 3 of my FreeNAS boxes. Finally upgraded them. LOL. you dont need to reboot except to update if you want, or need to fix a bug.

Yeah, updates are bad for uptime... https://xkcd.com/705/ :D

Not to bludgeon you with "you fscking noob" rhetoric, (that's not my intent) but...

This isn't Windows. Crappy OSes require regular reboots. OSes that are designed "for men" don't need reboots regularly.

If you want to be a girly man, feel free to reboot regularly. ;)

Pirateghost with 375 days uptime then yearly maintenance has it right. Fsck upgrades. Double fsck reboots.

Treat this as FIRMWARE. It's not a user space app. So of course it requires a reboot.

And last but not least, somewhat sum it up,

Although FreeNAS 9.3 offers updates much more frequently than many other projects you absolutely don't have to apply them more frequently than you would in other projects. Indeed, even most security updates will not be important if no outsiders have access to the machine, and you only have to apply other updates if something you want to do is broken. I can't think of anything important to me that didn't work in 9.3 release, I just like updates!

I personally chill behind and only update once a month, or even as long as 2 months, pretty much when theres no one on plex, when i dont need any files, and when i feel like pressing update, and looking at the monitor to make sure it boots properly (i have no IPMI....) i say boots properly because even though 99.999% of the time i dont have an issue, god forbid its waiting at a prompt for some shit and i wait and wait and wait.

 

[Bidule0hm]

Yep, for example I didn't and will not touch the 9.3.1 update for a long time, I just don't trust it a 100 %. I'm after stability and reliability so I always wait at least a few days before applying an update to see if there's some unexpected problems with it that shows up on the forum. But you can also apply the update as soon as it's released, it's your choice on how you manage your server.

 

[CaptainSensible]

Before I update I wait for the complaints, when the dust settles, I update.

 

[adrianwi]

I'd been running the updates on 9.3 within a few days of the e-mail notifications up to 9.3.1.

After the replication issues and P20 firmware confusion, I've rolled back to 9.3 and will be staying there until something I'm running won't work anymore!

 

[ethereal]

if everybody waits a month to update - there will be no dust - on day 31 everybody updates - the dust could change the planet's weather system for the worse !!

 

[joeschmuck]

Not everyone waits.

 

[NightNetworks]

Wow! Thanks for all of the responses!

I think after looking at everything that I am just going to hold off on updates until I find that there is an issue or that there is an update that will benefit me.

 

[rogerh]

Wow! Thanks for all of the responses!

I think after looking at everything that I am just going to hold off on updates until I find that there is an issue or that there is an update that will benefit me.

As a matter of interest, what version are you on now?