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Date: Wed, 09 Oct 1996 15:28:32 -0700
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Subject: Re: 961006-SNAP comments
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sthaug@nethelp.no wrote:
> 
> > > > user environment), but why /var?  With newsyslog doing clean log rotations, var
> > > >
> > > theoretically to help run / as a readonly partition
> > > on NFS systems or such and
> > > have the 'variable' files on their own partition.
> >
> > just theoretically, since a lot of machine dependant stuff is in /etc.
> 
> I'd actually like to do a readonly /, and it looks to me like it
> should be possible:
> 
> 1. Symlink those few variable files that are left, e.g. /etc/ntp.drift
> and /etc/ssh_random_seed into /var/run.
> 
> 2. Use DEVFS for the devices.
> 
> Any reason why this wouldn't work?
> 
> Steinar Haug, Nethelp consulting, sthaug@nethelp.no

I've done this 
we throw the writable files in a writable partition
and use symlinks..
vipw fails
as it replaces the symlinks
but otherwise it seems to work.
devfs is the key, but you need to 
mount it from init.
pester phk for teh right spot to do it..