Did I miss something

[mtnredhed]

I was at 9.2.0.1 (embedded)

Read all the release notes and web pages, so it seemed like I couldn't directly upgrade. OK, I saved my config, pulled down the X64 embedded .xs file. I unpacked it, wrote it to a USB flash stick (which I leave in the system) using Win32DiskImager.

I shutdown, swapped the USB sticks and rebooted. Got on the console and set the network settings. Went to the WebGUI and restored the config. It rebooted, I got back to the WebGUI and did a clear and import of the disk config.

The disks seem happy, ZFS seems happy and I can access my files via CIFS.

So why do I write?

What made me crazy were all the warnings about using the xz file. If you want the embedded version, what's the big deal about just loading the embedded img and rolling? Why all the warnings to use the LiveUSB first? Would it not have worked if I didn't have an existing config?

This is actually a minor whine. In truth, everything went smoothly. I might have been a little cranky if the box was remote and I was paying someone to be eyes and hands.

[daoyama]

Yes, you are wrong way.

The disks seem happy, ZFS seems happy and I can access my files via CIFS.

This is not a functional issue. You can use same feature both the images until you want upgrading.
But partition layout(geometry, alignment such as TRIM/Erase block) is depend on Motherboard BIOS and model/capacity of the installed disk. It might differ with pre-created image.
Also embedded.img.xz does not have swap.
NAS4Free will guarantee upgrade only if the disk is created by LiveCD or LiveUSB.

[mtnredhed]

But the pre-created image IS what you upgrade with. Maybe you missed that I'm running embedded on a USB flash "drive", so there is no swap and there isn't supposed to be.

At the risk of being snarky (not sure if that will translate), I've never been able to upgrade NAS4Free except manually, so not like I've lost anything there.

[daoyama]

But the pre-created image IS what you upgrade with.

If you say about firmware upgrade from WebGUI or LiveUSB, N4F never copy pre-created image.
Always extract partition data and write it only. So you can upgrade both GPT partition and MBR partition at any location by same image.