From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Apr 3 08:11:24 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6868F37B401 for ; Thu, 3 Apr 2003 08:11:24 -0800 (PST) Received: from mail.gmx.net (mail.gmx.net [213.165.65.60]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 411C043FBD for ; Thu, 3 Apr 2003 08:11:23 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from blueeskimo@gmx.net) Received: (qmail 7656 invoked by uid 65534); 3 Apr 2003 16:11:22 -0000 Received: from i216-58-29-174.gta.igs.net (EHLO [216.58.29.174]) (216.58.29.174) by mail.gmx.net (mp002-rz3) with SMTP; 03 Apr 2003 18:11:22 +0200 From: Adam To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org In-Reply-To: <20030403064854.C3898@thor.65535.net> References: <20030403064854.C3898@thor.65535.net> Content-Type: text/plain Organization: Message-Id: <1049386281.27963.48.camel@jake> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Ximian Evolution 1.2.2 Date: 03 Apr 2003 11:11:21 -0500 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Re: Loopback filesystem support? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2003 16:11:24 -0000 On Thu, 2003-04-03 at 00:52, Rus Foster wrote: > Hi All, > Does FreeBSD have any support for loopback filesystems. i.e. I mean being > able to mount a file as a filesystem ala Linux. Googling didn't chuck back > much and the nearest I found was mount_null. Is it possible? *** -$ man mount_null MOUNT_NULL(8) FreeBSD System Manager's Manual MOUNT_NULL(8) NAME mount_null - mount a loopback filesystem sub-tree; demonstrate the use of a null file system layer .... BUGS THIS FILESYSTEM TYPE IS NOT YET FULLY SUPPORTED (READ: IT DOESN'T WORK) AND USING IT MAY, IN FACT, DESTROY DATA ON YOUR SYSTEM. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. BEWARE OF DOG. SLIPPERY WHEN WET. This code also needs an owner in order to be less dangerous - serious hackers can apply by sending mail to and announcing their intent to take it over. *** mount_null is all that exists for a loopback filesystem in FreeBSD (afaik), and it does have many sharp edges (I actually once lost ~30gb b/c of it). I'd avoid it at all costs. Try using symlinks instead, if possible. -- Adam