0

I'm trying to upgrade from Fedora core 1 to a newer version.

The instructions on this page:

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Upgrading_from_EOL_Fedora_using_yum

tell me to save myself a world of pain by upgrading using anaconda. However, I can't seem to find much information on the web about exactly what that means or how I would go about running this "anaconda" or using it to upgrade.

Can anyone give me instruction on how I would do this? Thanks

EDIT: I have manged to get something working by following the instructions here: levine.sscnet.ucla.edu/general/software/tc1000/hdredhat.html. I can boot into the "upgrade" option I made in grub but upgrading from hard disk doesn't work. I am now trying to upgrade via http/ftp, but during the kernel installation step this error always happens happens: http://postimg.org/image/mej4vwec3/

The upgrade log says this:

error: unpacking of archive failed on file /boot/System.map-2.6.5-1.358;2ab9931a: cpio: write Any idea what's causing this error or how to fix it? I know that disk space is not the issue.

EDIT 2: The original question seemed to give off a misleading impression, so here's to clarify the actual background. This is part of an assignment for school, I cannot do a fresh install because simply put, I am not allowed to. However, I am allowed, and in fact somewhat encouraged, to upgrade as much as I can as long as a complete wipe and reinstall is not performed. I cannot use a conventional livecd because the machine in question is actually a virtual machine on vsphere and I cannot plug any physical media into it.

1
  • 2
    This is... going to hurt. Even if you had the repos available, and an upgrade path, you're 20 versions behind, and anaconda is the installer the livecd uses. You're currently attempting to loosen small bolts with a sledgehammer. it might work, but you're just as likely to hit yourself on the head and crack your skill.
    – Journeyman Geek
    May 1, 2015 at 7:58

5 Answers 5

2

anaconda is the installation program that comes with Fedora's Live CDs and DVDs. To upgrade Fedora using anaconda, just boot from the Live DVD and select Upgrade when prompted.

Caveats:

  • Even before a "normal" upgrade, it's always a good idea to make a backup of all important data.

  • The Fedora wiki you link to suggest using anaconda to upgrade from Fedora Core 1 to Fedora Core 2.

    In theory, you should be able to upgrade from Fedora Core 1 to Fedora Core 2 to Fedora Core 3 etc., but this will be very time-consuming.

    Also, every one of the 20 upgrades needed to reach the current version of Fedora has a non-zero chance of failing, so you probably won't get anywhere close to Fedora 21.

  • Still in theory, anaconda should be able to upgrade from Fedora Core 1 to Fedora 21.

    I'm not sure if skipping a release is officially supported, but it usually works regardless. Skipping 19 releases is rather unlikely to have a desirable outcome.

  • Seriously, whatever reason you may have for trying to avoid it, just perform a clean install.

6
  • I'm not able to boot from a live-cd either, is there some other way to start anaconda?
    – Katana
    Apr 30, 2015 at 5:06
  • 1
    Starting anaconda is not the issue (sudo anaconda should be sufficient). anaconda needs a live image that it would normally find on the DVD. While it might be possible to instruct anaconda to get the image elsewhere or simply chroot into a mounted ISO, I'm not sure how to achieve this. This might be a good moment to explain what exactly are the limitations you are facing.
    – Dennis
    Apr 30, 2015 at 5:22
  • following the instructions here but the iso isn't showing up after i choose the harddisk install option. levine.sscnet.ucla.edu/general/software/tc1000/hdredhat.html it tells me not to put the iso in the "/" partition but isn't everything in the "/" partition? Should i create a new partition just for the iso?
    – Katana
    May 1, 2015 at 0:55
  • Well, managed to get past that by doing an http install, but partway through it said unable to install kernel(insert kernel number) fatal error or something like that. T.T
    – Katana
    May 1, 2015 at 4:15
  • Well, as I said in my answer, I didn't actually think this would work. Could you share why you can't install an operating system the "normal" way (i.e., booting from a CD or a flash drive)? If I knew what the problem is, I might be able to suggest a solution.
    – Dennis
    May 1, 2015 at 4:21
1

Its a ll year old OS, 20 revisions behind the current release. Its not an OS that's meant to be an LTS, and upgrading between versions on a good day is risky.

Without knowing the reasons for this, one can only guess on why one would go on this... frankly foolhardy quest. If you're doing this cause you have custom software, you will end up needing to recompile whatever it is, especially since glibc versions have changed quite a bit.

If you don't have custom software, save yourself the pain and get a full install of fedora, work out what you need and just reinstall it.

If reinstalling isn't an option, and it is due to some unique custom software (and seriously, this is the only sane reason to), virtualise the old thing, stick it behind a VERY restrictive firewall (and in this situation, I would force everything through the host, and just forward absolutely essential ports). If you have seperate partitions, or can do it make whatever does not need to be changed readonly.

And seriously, consider retirement planning, for the system, if not you.

The anaconda upgrade option is basically running the installer with the "upgradeany" option. This may or may not work - and certainly not in the case I linked. Pretty much any version you upgrade from FC1 will be obsolete, and chained upgrades sound like a horrible idea since any one upgrade breaking could mean starting afresh.

Smart money's on getting a new centos or fedora install up, working out what you need and rebuilding stuff.

4
  • There is no custom software. And I have not even started working yet, let alone retirement planning(LOL). I will update the question to clarify since people seem to be getting an impression that is very different from the actual situation.
    – Katana
    May 1, 2015 at 9:31
  • I'm not sure if the latest edit makes it any better. Can you at least mount ISOs? I can't imagine any sane lecturer would do this without giving you the necessary tools or at least a hint. And certainly not a 10 year old OS.
    – Journeyman Geek
    May 1, 2015 at 9:37
  • Yes I can mount ISOs, but attempts to install from harddisk haven't worked for me.
    – Katana
    May 1, 2015 at 9:42
  • Im not able to check right now, but iirc trying to install from ISO on harddisk caused anaconda to exit with some sort of python error. Not sure if having my iso in the same partition as everything else is part of the problem(the instructions said it might be an issue) but it doesn't seem likely. In any case I cant seem to create any new partitions: parted says it doesn't understand the partition layout and cant resize anything.
    – Katana
    May 1, 2015 at 9:54
1

I actually had this exact assignment several months ago and remember coming across this very question. To help any future onlookers in a similar situation (upgrading a Fedora Core 1 vSphere VM without performing a clean install), here are the steps:

  • Do NOT attempt to manually upgrade any packages via internet during this process until stated!
  • Take a snapshot of the VM in vSphere in case of any failed upgrades (do this before EVERY upgrade - this saved me more than once)
  • Download ISOs for every version of Fedora from Fedora Core 2 up to and including Fedora 17
  • Mount the Fedora Core 2 ISO in vSphere and restart the machine
  • Upgrade your install by booting from the disc image and running anaconda
  • Repeat the previous 2 steps for every version up to 17
  • Starting with Fedora 17, anaconda is not supported for upgrades, so use FedUp to incrementally upgrade to Fedora 21 via network
  • FedUp was deprecated with Fedora 22, so use DNF to upgrade to the latest version of Fedora
  • Update remaining packages via package manager as necessary

I only had enough time to get my VM image up to Fedora 13, but the end result was surprisingly stable.

0

Almost afraid to ask why 1) you are on fc1 2) why you can't reinstall fresh BUT

You will need to use fedup --upgrade fc2 ,fc3, ..etc,etc til 21 if you can't / won't install fresh....Grab a few movie marathons it will NOT be a quick engagement.

4
  • unfortunately if that worked i would have already done it. fedup gives me command not found and yum cannot find any package named that either.
    – Katana
    Apr 30, 2015 at 3:29
  • then see if sudo yum upgrade OR sudo yum safe-upgrade work Apr 30, 2015 at 4:19
  • the only thing yum upgrade tries to do is install a slightly newer kernel
    – Katana
    Apr 30, 2015 at 5:05
  • fedup didn't exist back then, so it's not gonna work.
    – mattdm
    May 1, 2015 at 14:33
0

I don't think this is gonna work, because especially in the early days, there were a lot of painful changes in fundamentals like glibc and rpm. I don't think you can make it as far as past FC4, because that was kind of a troubled release, and got to the point where it was actually impossible to start with a fresh install and apply the latest updates — you had to have been following along with updates from earlier in the release. Dark times, back then. :)

I really have to challenge the assignment — what's the benefit of this supposed to be? In the real world, faced with this issue, the correct response is definitely to document the configuration of the machine's important services and recreate with a fresh install.

1
  • The assignment isn't just to upgrade an old os. We're supposed to harden a vulnerable system. But obviously leaving things at fc1 would leave plenty of vulnerabilities.
    – Katana
    May 1, 2015 at 22:51

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .