Skip site navigation (1)Skip section navigation (2)
Date:      Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:56:06 +0000
From:      Chris Rees <crees@freebsd.org>
To:        "C. P. Ghost" <cpghost@cordula.ws>
Cc:        freebsd-current@freebsd.org, sthaug@nethelp.no
Subject:   Re: Using TMPFS for /tmp and /var/run?
Message-ID:  <CADLo83-c3jNd9XAyCMhqrEP3x9nvX1=Q9j7foEB37zRy3QZWDA@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <CADGWnjXj5W_UCHPExNjxHgq3EZHP1GwocnK4kOHLch5y3gNG0A@mail.gmail.com>
References:  <4F746F1E.6090702@mail.zedat.fu-berlin.de> <4F74BCE8.2030802@vangyzen.net> <CACM2%2B-7Ahn6J=CTASe0g48%2BSD2vvLVd_hG3DRZmvO31QszG5Xw@mail.gmail.com> <20120330.151848.41706133.sthaug@nethelp.no> <CADGWnjXj5W_UCHPExNjxHgq3EZHP1GwocnK4kOHLch5y3gNG0A@mail.gmail.com>

next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On 30 March 2012 17:31, C. P. Ghost <cpghost@cordula.ws> wrote:
> On Fri, Mar 30, 2012 at 3:18 PM, =A0<sthaug@nethelp.no> wrote:
>>> > However, if you always want to use tmpfs instead of stable storage,
>>> please do not. =A0Some people expect /tmp to be persistent. =A0This is =
why
>>> /etc/defaults/rc.conf has clear_tmp_enable=3D"NO". =A0Changing this wou=
ld break
>>> the POLA.
>>> >
>>> This is a mistake.
>>>
>>> The default should be clear_tmp_enable=3D"YES"
>>> if only to uncover those broken configurations that expect /tmp to be
>>> persistent.
>>
>> If you want to break POLA and make a lot of people angry, sure.
>> Otherwise no.
>
> I couldn't agree more. Not clearing /tmp on reboot has been
> the norm for way too long and it is too late to change now.
> It's not just POLA, it also involves deleting data of unaware
> users, and that should be avoided.
>
> Anyone willing to change policy w.r.t. /tmp can do so on their
> own machines. Nothing is preventing them from doing so.
> But by changing defaults, one should err on the side of
> caution and remain conservative, IMHO.

>From man hier:

/tmp/      temporary files that are not guaranteed to persist across
system reboots

This assumption that people often make 'People will be astonished by
this'-- I would like to have someone speak up and actually say "Yes, I
use *temporary* directories for long-term storage" rather than the
assumption that they are around.

Software that assumes this should be fixed, and it won't be until the
bug is exposed (I'll look at eaccelerator-- it probably should store
its cache in /var/db).

Maintaining the status quo because of some hypothetical scenario isn't
really productive.

Chris



Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?CADLo83-c3jNd9XAyCMhqrEP3x9nvX1=Q9j7foEB37zRy3QZWDA>