Re: Current thoughts on system partitioning

From: Nico Kadel-Garcia (nkadel_at_comcast.net)
Date: 01/22/05 

Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 21:49:14 -0500

"Bill Davidsen" <davidsen@tmr.com> wrote in message
news:utcId.8464$%M3.6486@newssvr31.news.prodigy.com...

> You ignore the consequences... If I run out of /var/log I stop logging. If
> I run out of /var/tmp a lot more things stop, and the system no longer
> provides service. The example of turning log level way up is silly, bad
> administration is bad administration, it's like saying "what happens if
> you type rm -rf /" or other undesirable things.

Having /var/log can cause your mail server to explode, badly, as you
generate numerous failure messages. I've also seen mailman throw a wobbly
because /var/log overflowed. And turning up your log level is quite common
for web sites and mail systems when debugging.

> Which is why you want a separate /tmp and if you build kernels a lot you
> might want a separate /usr/src or not. I build rather a lot and I have
> never run out of space on a small 10GB partition, if you're a vendor you
> have special needs.

No, look again. Because you've created a separate partition, you've
pre-allocated its maximum. You can't effortlessly and painlessly
re-allocate, even with LVM.

I build a lot. I also do kernels and rebuilds of things like OpenOffice and
XFree86, so I can run out of such pre-allocated space pretty fast.

>> Agreed, as long as the live CD actually works with your hardware.
>> Sometimes you have to special load drivers, especially for new disk
>> controllers. But this is a good approach.
>
> Considering the probability that you will remember to keep the backup boot
> up-to-date, when you add hardware you have to have the drivers everywhere
> you need to boot. Most people run stock hardware and don't patch and build
> their kernel, so if it works once it probably will again ;-)

Well, true. Some of us get weird hardware working for other people, which is
why I mention it. For example, if you have someone who insists on using a
slightly out of date OS and/or kernel, they need to hand-install the 3Ware
drivers for the 3c9500 series of SATA controllers.