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Chapter 2Edit src/UPDATING...Finished successfullyThe csup maintains syntax similar to that of cvsup. For all the examplesin this book, csup and cvsup can be used interchangeably.Tracking the –STABLE branch is a very good idea for the production systems, only ifyou are aware of the latest changes in the branch. You should be aware of the minorsoftware upgrades and changes in the systems libraries that will affect the operationof your server, in addition to the critical bug fixes and security updates.As compression takes more CPU resources from the server, usingcompression in CVSup is not recommended, unless you really need it.There are a number of ways to know about the latest important changes made to thebranch. One of the methods is by reading the /usr/src/UPDATING file. Thisfile contains all the latest important changes made to the current branch in thereverse chronological order. However, not all the changes are documented inthe UPDATING file. The FreeBSD -STABLE mailing list has the latest informationabout the –STABLE branch including the users' experience, problem reports, anddevelopers announcements. You can subscribe to the list or view its archives athttp://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-stable.Tracking –CURRENTThe HEAD tag on the CVS tree contains the latest development code. All the newfeatures, major library updates, and fundamental changes are tested in this branch.This branch is mainly targeted for developers and enthusiasts who are interestedin using the cutting-edge features, testing the functionality, hunting bugs, anddeveloping software for FreeBSD. This branch, which is also known as –CURRENT,is not recommended for the production environment and day to day usage. Henceyou don't track this branch, unless you need a new feature which is not availablein –STABLE.An operating system built from –CURRENT code is not stable and maybreak down frequently. Do not use this branch on your servers, unlessyou know what you are doing and ready to face the consequences.[ 33 ]