Re: RFC - named loop devices...

[jw schultz <jw@pegasys.ws>]

On Thu, May 23, 2002 at 06:04:53PM +0100, Russell King wrote:
> On Thu, May 23, 2002 at 06:01:05PM +0100, Ian Molton wrote:
> > On Tue, 21 May 2002 17:11:34 -0200
> > Denis Vlasenko <vda@port.imtp.ilyichevsk.odessa.ua> wrote:
> > 
> > > > I was wondering if a solution to this would be to introduce 'named'
> > > > loopback devices.
> > 
> > > Have no time to think about this now, but will test any patches -
> > > I want /etc/mtab -> /proc/mounts to become standard practice
> > 
> > me too. :-)
> 
> /proc/mounts and /etc/mtab contain different information.  /etc/mtab can
> contain what ever information a user space app needs.  /proc/mount can't.
> See the following as a perfect example, specifically the automount and
> NFS entries.
> 
> Also, remember that mount uses /etc/mtab to perform synchronisation
> between two concurrent mount requests for the same device/resource.
> 
[snip]

It is clear to me that what really needs to happen is to
retire /etc/mtab.  It seems to be the last file in /etc that
needs to be written.  Mount, df and others need to look
elsewhere and we might need a syscall (if it doesn't exist)
to support umount and root pivoting when not even proc is
mounted.  It might be a pain to coordinate but should be
worth it.

-- 
________________________________________________________________
	J.W. Schultz            Pegasystems Technologies
	email address:		jw@pegasys.ws

		Remember Cernan and Schmitt