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Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 16:21:43 -0400
From: Mathew KANNER <mat@cs.mcgill.ca>
To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org
Subject: rc.diskless -> /sbin/mdfs
Message-ID: <20010402162143.B25192@cs.mcgill.ca>
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Hello -current,
   There seems to be some interest in discussing changes to rc.diskless
and I tried to come with a set of variables and shell code for rc.conf
and rc.diskless that would allow for tuning the fs (# of inodes,
softupdates, etc) as well as filesystems other than ufs.  
   It seems complex enough to warrant being factored out of
rc.diskless and into it's own utility.
   (I can't really think of a reason to want msdos, ext2fs or ifs on
temporary storage but I think the option should be available anyway.)

   I propose having /etc/mdfs.conf and /sbin/mdfs, although I'm not
attached to these names.

   Mdfs.conf is similar in spirit to /etc/vntab but would contain
filesystem options as well.  Mdconfig doesn't currently have the
ability to read configuration files, maybe that's the real solution.

   Mdfs would read mdfs.conf (or specified file) and would configure
the md device via mdconfig, optionally disklabel, run the appropriate
'make fs' and 'tune fs' commands, and optionally mount the disk via
mount.

   [An alternative to this scheme could be to have a mount_md command
but I wouldn't know how to get enough information to mount then to
mount_md to cover the gammet of options available.]

   But I'm stuck on two points I would like to solicit ideas:  
- How should the config file should look.  I like the one-line per
  config entry, a la:

md  /var  swap ufs size="10m" reserve fsopt="-c 90 -m 0" \
   tuneopt="-n enable"
md  /fast malloc ifs  size="100m"
md  /library file="/opt/chemlib.iso" iso9660
/dev/md10 /tmp ufs size="10m"

   But it might get ugly when escaping the argument strings.

- How aware should the utility be of filesystems?  Should it handle
  non ufs filesystems in a arbitrary manner, perhaps like the
following config line:

md  /tmp  swap unknown  size="100m"  no_disklabel newfs="newfs_msdos" \
   mount_type="msdos"

   Or should it know internally of msdos, The minimum is ufs, of
course.

   Anyway, my pain threshold is pretty high so I would prefer to hear
that this is all bad than not to hear anything at all :)

      Thanks,
      --Mat

-- 
Mathew Kanner <mat@CS.McGill.CA>  Sys Admin at large
   Obtuse quote: He [not me] understands: "This field of perception
   is void of perception of man." -- The Quintessence of Buddhism 

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