Upgrading without hair loss??

[nhutchin]

Can anyone advise how easy it is (for a newbie) to ugrade from Fedora Core 3 to the latest Fedora 10.
I have a Compaq nx8220 laptop that I use to develop applications in C for target systems running Linux. The target boards are based on AMD Elan SC520 and I am using a target kernel 2.6.11.9-xxxx, supplied by the board manufacturer. In fact the complete toolchain has been supplied by the PC/104 target board manufacturer.
It has been a severe learning curve just get to where I am now, compiling code with the designated compiler for the target on the laptop and testing on a prototype target system. I am therefore hesitant to fix something that isn't broken, but I do intuitively feel there must be some benefits from getting more upto date.
Despite being drawn to the challenge of building embedded systems I am quite the novice in terms of how Linux based systems 'work'. I went through serious grief when I started this project trying to get a module working for one of the I/O boards in the target (and I'm still not sure how I managed it!).
There are several good text books on systems programming, building embedded linux systems etc, however, I struggle to interpret and apply with the system I have. For example, do I need to create a new partition to safely try a Fedora 10? If so, The filesystem I have looks a bit alien:-

Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/mapper/VolGroup00-LogVol00
54G 7.0G 45G 14% /
/dev/hda1 99M 8.8M 85M 10% /boot
none 252M 0 252M 0% /dev/shm

If the advice is leave well alone until you know what you're doing, that's fine but I feel I just need a bit more knowledge and I'll be flying.

Thanks in anticipation

[oz]

Can anyone advise how easy it is (for a newbie) to ugrade from Fedora Core 3 to the latest Fedora 10.

My personal opinion is that it's too big a leap to try upgrading from version FC3 to Fedora 10, and that a fresh install should take place. Of course, anything is possible if you have the time and patience to take on all issues that could come from doing so.

For example, do I need to create a new partition to safely try a Fedora 10?

No need to partition because you can run Fedora as a liveDVD if you only want to try it.

[nhutchin]

Thanks for the advice.
I may well give the liveDVD a try but when all's said and done I guess I will benefit from a new install.
As I am half way through a major project building an embedded control system on a PC/104 target, I don't want to disable the working system. There has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth to get to here, with nothing but Google to talk to!!!
The file structure I have on this installation does not appear to conform to the norm. Each time I find a HOWTO for intstallation i fall at the first hurdle with what to extract where etc.
If I am correct I have the following options:
1. Copy data files to some safe external source and start again with a fresh install; the downside beng a) I loose something on route and the target system toolchain doesn't like it's new home.
2. Create a new instalation alongside the existing to have full safety net; question here is learning about LVM and making artitions (or is it??)
or 3. Compile a new kernel 'in-situ' and replace the current version; could be talking through the top of my head here?!?!?!

I am willing to learn that's all I can add

[Roxoff]

If you've got access to an DVD writer you could just back up your stuff and do a re-install as ozar suggests. You could also back up to external hard disk or to another computer across a network.

Of your options, this is choice 1. You choice 2 is an interesting option, and with the availability of cheap hard disks, maybe you could use this approach? You probably don't want to just stick a new kernel in, you wont have any of the new tools that come with the newer distribution

If you're going to do a backup and re-install, then by all means try an upgrade - you may find it does work.

Once you've done the upgrade or re-install, the newest versions have some great upgrade tools which will allow you to do an on-line upgrade in the future quite easily, this should help you avoid these problems next time out. I've just used them to upgrade one of my machines from Fedora 9 to 10.

[elija]

In your situation, I would be tempted to do the following:

1. Backup your valuable data just in case.
2. Make sure the backup worked. If you think losing your data is a nasty feeling, imaging having your "I have a backup" smugness destroyed
3. Slap in a new hard drive.
4. Install Fedora 10 to the new drive.
5. Mount the old drive and copy your data to the new one.
6. Set things up as you need them.
7. Job done.

If all goes well you won't need the backup at all but still do one.