Re: Is it a must to keep kernel up-to-date for -current pkgsrc user?

[Mayuresh <mayuresh%acm.org@localhost>]

On Sat, Nov 19, 2011 at 12:36:57AM +0400, Aleksej Saushev wrote:
> Mayuresh <mayuresh%acm.org@localhost> writes:
> 
> > This document suggests if the -current code uses new system calls
> > supported only by newer kernel there could be a problem. So better to
> > update the kernel in such cases.
> > http://www.netbsd.org/docs/current/
> >
> > I like to keep -current relatively more frequently up-to-date than the
> > kernel. So it's not obvious when to update the kernel.
> 
> The simple answer is, "Don't do that."

Will be good to not have to do that. But what about the scenario mentioned
in above document that something changes in pkgsrc that requires something
new (such as system call) in the kernel? (ok, it might happen really once
in a while, but the document amply warns of such scenario.)

> 
> > Is there anything in pkgsrc that will warn of need of a kernel upgrade, in
> > case the changes use a new system call?
> >
> > Also, once you are using pkgsrc -current and take care of above issue with
> > kernel update, an "upgrade" (i.e. downloading an iso running sysinstall
> > etc) is never required. Is it?
> 
> Think pkgsrc is unrelated to NetBSD: updating kernel or base system is
> no pkgsrc business. (Yet?..)

Question is more of "what does \"upgrade\" mean to me if I am doing
regular cvs updates to -current pkgsrc and as needed to kernel". Say, when
NetBSD 6.0 is released, won't I be automatically on 6.0 (since I use
-current pkgsrc and update the kernel as needed?).

So do I do "sysinstall" only once in life, if my update pattern is as
above?

If so, this sounds very interesting to me coming from Linux binary distro
background where for every upgrade I download a big iso, burn a dvd and go
through some upgrade rituals no matter whether some of the application
versions required upgrade or not.

Mayuresh.