Right way to update OpenWrt

Currently on 19.07.2 and planning to update to 19.07.3 when it comes out.
I was wondering what would be the "right" way to do this update (with regards to installed packages and their configuration).
I've got a standard openwrt configuration and a few packages installed (like stubby, luci-app-statistics). When updating to 19.07.3:

  1. keep the settings and later install the packages or
  2. do not keep the settings, install the packages and later upload a settings file,
  3. do not keep the settings, install the packages and configure them again by hand

Updates within a major release usually work with keeping settings.

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I would go with that. Upgradde from 19.07.2 to .3 makes no big changes.

But you use stubby for DNS and have disabled dnsmasq, right?
Then you might need to manually download the stubby package first and install the .ipk manually.

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If you installed dnsmasq-full, it is possible that your current configuration will not work with the dnsmasq package that comes by default, and make it fail to start. Your router will not have a DHCP server active.

If this happens, you can just configure your computer with a fixed IP address. Or you can edit your configuration before the upgrade.

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Dnsmasq is not disabled if that's what you mean.
As far as i've understood dnsmasq will forward DNS queries to Stubby. Also it acts as the dhcp server.
So why would it be disabled?

How do you have 2 services listening on the same port?

I followed these two guides:
https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/services/dns/stubby
https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/services/dns/dot_dnsmasq_stubby

Do you think i did something wrong?

Suppose you are running "dnsmasq-full" now, and have configured DNSSSEC. When you upgrade, the image will contain just "dnsmasq", it will not accept the config, and fail to start.

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A scenario similar like you describe (missing packages after update) was in my mind when i ask the question.
This would suggest that only method 2 or 3 would be a "correct" way to update.

  1. Grab the Image Builder, assemble the requisite bits, flash keeping current config.
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That is probably my next step.

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I agree with your mind. i've just updated my openwrt box from 19.07.1 to 19.07.3 and after the reboot, i needed to reinstall all the packages. The problem is i need Internet access to download packages and i need an extra package in order to make my USB LTE 4G modem work and to connect to Internet.

3, of course.