Re: Update - Ramdisks and tmpfs problems

Denis Vlasenko (vda@port.imtp.ilyichevsk.odessa.ua)
Thu, 11 Apr 2002 09:03:43 -0200

On 10 April 2002 12:23, Geoffrey Gallaway wrote:
> I finally found the problem, which appears to be a combination of things:
>
> Multiple tmpfs mounts and SMP.
>
> I am using a Dual Intel PIII 1Ghz box. When I use a SMP kernel AND do
> multiple tmpfs mounts (mount --bind /dev/shm/etc /etc; mount --bind
> /dev/shm/var /var) the machine goes into a reset loop. HOWEVER, when I use
> a non-SMP kernel and still do multiple tmpfs mounts OR when I use a SMP
> kernel and do only one tmpfs mount, the machine boots fine. Every once in a
> while (1 out of 20 times?) the machine would boot fine with a SMP kernel
> and multiple tmpfs mounts. Is this a timing issue?

Yes, sounds like race. It seems locking isn't quite right in tmpfs.

BTW, I'd like to know why do you want to use temporary storage
(tmpfs/shm/ramdisk) for /var and /etc? In 'normal' Unix (i.e. not a special
setup like computing farm) they are expected to survive reboot. Only /tmp
is volatile. You want to keep per-workstation config files (/etc) and data
(/var) across reboot, right?

Since my workstations aren't overstuffed with RAM, I use server supplied
storage for everything. If I will have a multigig RAM box someday, I'll
use tmpfs *only* for /tmp.

--
vda
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