FreeBSD 13 – freebsd-update install reports merge conflicts – Fix & Prevention

📖 ~1 min read

Table of contents

1. Symptom & Impact
2. Environment & Reproduction
3. Root Cause Analysis
4. Quick Triage
5. Step-by-Step Diagnosis
6. Solution – Primary Fix
7. Solution – Alternative Approaches
8. Verification & Acceptance Criteria
9. Rollback Plan
10. Prevention & Hardening
11. Related Errors & Cross-Refs
12. References & Further Reading

Symptom & Impact

OS update pauses for manual file merge conflicts, delaying security patch completion.

Environment & Reproduction

Frequent on hosts with customized base system configuration files.

freebsd-update fetch
freebsd-update install
ls /var/db/freebsd-update

Root Cause Analysis

Local edits diverge from upstream base file changes, requiring explicit merge decisions.

Quick Triage

Inventory conflicting files and assess service impact before applying merges.

freebsd-update IDS
find /etc -name '*.merge*'

Step-by-Step Diagnosis

Review conflict hunks and compare active runtime configs.

diff -u /etc/ssh/sshd_config /etc/ssh/sshd_config.merge
service sshd configtest || true

Solution – Primary Fix

Merge files carefully, preserve required local overrides, then rerun installer.

cp -a /etc /root/etc.backup.$(date +%Y%m%d)
freebsd-update install
mergemaster -Ui || true

Solution – Alternative Approaches

Use etcupdate workflow for cleaner conflict management on frequently customized hosts.

Verification & Acceptance Criteria

Update completes without pending conflicts and core services restart cleanly.

freebsd-version -k -u
service -e | head

Rollback Plan

Restore pre-merge configuration backup if service behavior regresses.

Prevention & Hardening

Track base config deltas in version control and minimize direct edits to base files.

Related Errors & Cross-Refs

Related to kernel-userland mismatch and post-update boot issues.

Related tutorial: View the step-by-step tutorial for freebsd-13.

View all freebsd-13 tutorials on the Tutorials Hub →

Browse all common problems & solutions on the Tutorials Hub.

References & Further Reading

freebsd-update(8), etcupdate(8), and release upgrade notes.